REPORT NO. 500
ON THE SITUATION OF
THE HUMAN RIGHTS
AND FREEDOMS IN KOSOVA
FROM JUNE 1
UNTIL JUNE 11, 2000
REPORT NO. 500
on the situation of human rights and freedoms
in Kosova from 1 until 11 June 2000
This is the report
no. 500 of the Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms based
in Prishtina, which is published regularly since 1 April 1990. Since its
establishment, on 14 December 1989, until 1 April 1990, CDHRF has addressed
the public opinion with communiqués, protests and appeals. The first
weekly report published on 1 April 1990 was a summary of data on the killed,
wounded, arrested and prisoners during the period of 1981-1990.
In the following weekly reports, we published
the names of the Albanian conscripts, who were killed while serving the
former Yugoslav Army and all that happened regarding the violation of human
rights in Kosova – regardless of the nationality of the perpetrators or
the victims.
Weekly reports were published into Albanian,
English and Serbian and were disseminated to human rights organisations
as well as the highest state institutions in the world and former Yugoslavia.
As soon as it got access to the internet, CDHRF arranged weekly reports
and other materials on its web site.
During the last few days, 6 people (four Albanians and two Serbs) were killed, 6 people (three Albanians and three Serbs) were wounded. 2 Serbs got killed in a mine accident, whereas 3 others (a mother with her two children) got wounded. 2 people (an Albanian and a Turk) went missing, whereas KFOR reported the kidnapping of an Albanian girl. A mass grave with the corpses of the Albanians killed by the Serbian forces during the war was identified.
Killings
On 31 May. - In Babimoc (Obiliq), fire was opened towards a car in which was a group of Serbs. Milutin Trajkoviq (33) got killed and another Serb got wounded. Serbian sources accused the Albanians for this, whereas the German news agency DPA informed that Milutin was killed by Serbs themselves. KFOR sources confirmed this case saying that they have no knowledge on the author of this crime. They informed that in the evening in Babimoc, KFOR Norwegian soldiers saw a group of Serbs block the road and attacking and turning upside down a vehicle and setting fire to it. Serbs attacked with stones the soldiers. Two of them suffered injuries. Soldiers unblocked the road after midnight.
On 1 June. – At about 13.00, in the vicinity of Kllokot, unidentified persons killed a Serbian old woman from Kllokot and wounded two other Serbs working on the field. The wounded Serbs were offered first aid at the local health care centre and afterwards taken to the hospital of the American military camp Bondsteel in Sojeva (Ferizaj). After this incident, Serbs from Kllokot blocked the roads Ferizaj-Gjilan and Kllokot-Viti and the entrance to the Rehabilitation Centre in Banja e Kllokotit. These roads were unblocked after an hour and a half on the intervention of the KFOR American soldiers.
On 7 June. – At 2.15, masked armed persons attacked the Jakupi family and killed Muharrem Jakupi (1932), ill, and wounded his son dr. Mithat Jakupi (1950), an orthopaedist with the Peja Hospital. His life is in danger.
On 8 June. – At about 22.30, in the vicinity of the Municipal Council in Prishtina, an unidentified person killed Xhevat Bahtir Makolli (1958), a karate expert, former selector of the national team of Kosova. His companions did not suffer.
On 11 June. – In the vicinity of the village of Kotorr (Skënderaj), Xhafer Behrami (46), principal of the “Vëllezërit Frashëri” Primary School in Çubrel (Skënderaj), and his son Baki (18) in an ambush. The other Xhafer’s son Faruk (16) and Jetullah Behrami (42) were wounded. Faruk was taken to the Prishtina Hospital.
Mass graves – identifications
KLINA: Two corpses
were identified in the mass grave in Elezaj (Gjurgjevik i Vogël) and
were taken to Rahovec for expertise and identification. Two other corpses
from the municipality of Skënderaj were found in this grave.
SKËNDERAJ:
On 4 June, some persons working on a canal in Klina e Epërme identified
a mass grave with many corpses.
It is believed
that there is a mass grave at the place called Stublinat between the villages
of Makërmal and Likoc. According to people, there might be the corpses
of 88 victims of the Serbian massacre in Rezalla.
Mine accidents
FUSHË-KOSOVA: On 1 June, at about 7.00, a vehicle hit a mine on the road between the villages of Uglar (Fushë-Kosova) and Preoc (Prishtina). Sinisha Dimiq, a worker with health care centre in Bresje, and Vlastimir Miliq, both from Batusa, got killed. Natasha Ristiq and her two children got wounded.
Disappearances and kidnappings
SKËNDERAJ:
On 1 June, Halil Ramadan Azemi (40) from Açareva, a mentally ill
person, went missing.
PRISHTINA: On
3 June, Hilmi Vehbi Safçi (1939), a Turk from Prishtina, went missing.
He left home at 12.00 and ever since there are no information on his whereabouts.
DRENAS: On 3 June,
KFOR Finnish soldiers reported kidnapping of an Albanian girl in Drenas.
Ill-treatments, attacks, provocations
MITROVICA: On 1
June, at about 21.00, in the “Kodra e Minatorëve” quarter, five Serbs
broke into the flat of Fatime Vehbi Selmani (58) and occupied it. Some
time ago, Serbs expelled an UNMIK official from the very same flat. At
the same time, in the “7 Shtatori” quarter, more than 10 Serbs broke into
the flat of Faruk Remzi Nallbani (27) and looted it. His neighbours called
the UNMIK police, who came immediately and stayed there for an hour. Yet,
they did not undertake anything to prevent the looters. The next day, a
Serbian family moved in.
Agim Pllana (45),
a teacher with the secondary school, severely ill-treated Vehbi Muhamet
Sadiku (18), a third-year pupil.
On 6 June, at
about 11.30, in the vicinity of the technical school in the “Ibri” quarter,
4 Serbs severely ill-treated Esat Azemi (45).
Leader of the
“Serbian National Council” for Mitrovica, Oliver Ivanoviq, warned that
the roads from Mitrovica to Zveçan and Zubin Potok would be blocked
until 12 June, when the UN Security Council would meet.
On 7 June, at
about 12.00, in the “Ibri” quarter, eight armed Serbs led by Slavko Mandiq
and Miodrag Raliq expelled by force Elder Xhelil Bajçinovci (34)
from his flat. Between 16.00 and 20.00, about 300-400 Serbs led by Oliver
Ivanoviq, Slavko Mandiq, Miodrag Raliq, Dushko Shilikoviq etc. protested
in the streets threatening the Albanians to leave their flats and houses
and go to Albania. Serbs occupied many Albanian flats. They also demolished
two vehicles of UNMIK police.
On 8 June, at
about 17.00, in the north of the town, a group of Serbs severely ill-treated
Cecelia Piazze, person in charge of the Department for Democratisation
and political parties within OSCE Mission, and her driver Abdullah Kurshumliu.
They were on their way back from their meeting with Oliver Ivanoviq, leader
of the “Serbian National Council” in Mitrovica.
On 9 June, at
about 18.00, in the vicinity of the Technical Secondary School in the north
of the town, about 20 Serbs led by Miodrag Raliq and Lubisha Maroviq severely
ill-treated Avni Peci (23) while he was on his way home. They burned his
car. Avni suffered heavy injuries and was forced to seek for medical assistance
at Prishtina Hospital. At about 22.00, in this part of the town, unidentified
persons set fire to the flat of an Albanian woman.
KLINA: On 1 June,
in the evening, stones were thrown at the office of the LDK branch in Klina
for the second time within a week.
On 6 June, at
about 22.00, four armed persons (two of them were masked) went into the
yard of Haxhi Dragidella in the village of Nora (Zajm), demanded money
and attempted to enter the house threatening the family members with killing.
The assaulters opened fire in the air, whereas one of them stabbed Haxhi’s
wife Feride.
PRIZREN: On 1 June,
in the “Ortakoll” quarter in Prizren, according to KFOR, unknown persons
broke into the flat, where Leri Wekans, an UNMIK official lived.
On 2 June, according
to KFOR, the vacant house of a Roma was burned.
PEJA: On 2 June,
at about 1.30 a.m., 6 armed persons wearing masks broke into the Tile Factory
in Peja, physically assaulted the guards – Gani Gjata, Limon Zekaj
and Bashkim Isufaj and stole the safe deposit box with DM 65.000.
On 5 June, at
midnight, 3 missiles fell in the center of the village of Kastrat (Gorazhdec).
One woman was wounded.
On 8 June, according
to KFOR sources, a group of 5-6 Albanians, (of whom 2 were armed), assaulted
a Russian soldier. The soldier fell unconscious. The assaulters grabbed
his automatic gun and ran away.
MALISHEVA: On 3 June, in the evening hours, unidentified persons attacked Russian soldiers in Malisheva.
OBILIQ: On June 3, in the evening hours, several grenades were fired at a Serb house in Obiliq.
LYPIAN (LIPJAN): On 5 June, at about midnight, unidentified persons threw a hand grenade at the house of Sherif Jakupoviqi in Magura. Little damage was caused.
PRISHTINA: On 6
June, at about 10.00, a grenade exploded in the vicinity of the Culture
House in Graçanica. 5 Serbs were wounded. A few moments later some
1000 Serbs began attacking Albanians travelling through Graçanica.
Several cars were burned and damaged. A number of Albanians suffered injuries.
Many Albanians sought shelter at the UNMIK police station in Graçanica.
The Serbs threw stones at the station as well. The regional commander of
the UNMIK police suffered light injuries on his face. The following were
injured: Ali Sopi, Pajazit Sopi and Fehmi Gashi from Graçanica,
Asllan Beqiri, Raif Miftari and Fuad Zylfiu from Presheva as well
as Behxhet Rrudhani (1956) from the village of Rogana near Dardana.According
to KFOR, the scuffles between the local Serbs and Swedish soldiers began
at 09.00 (almost an hour before the grenade was thrown). 8 UNMIK and 1
KFOR vehicle were burned. 3 Serbs were wounded in an effort to attack the
British general Richard Shirref, the commander of the Multinational Brigade
Center. KFOR soldiers arrested Nebojsha Stojanoviq, one of the assaulters.
The latter was wounded.
On 8 June, at
08.25, UNMIK police detected a bomb under a vehicle parked in front of
the UNMIK police station in Prishtina. KFOR soldiers and UNMIK police sealed
the area and at about 09.45, destroyed the bomb. The investigation showed
that the explosive device contained between half and one kg of plastic
explosive. If it had exploded it would had destroyed an area of 10-15 meters.
BESIANA (PODUJEVA): On 6 June, between 20.00 and 21.00, there was shooting in Mediana (Merdar) on the Serbian side of the border with Kosova.
ZUBIN POTOK: On 11 June, several rockets were fired at a house, which was rented by a group of UNMIK policemen. No one was injured.
The prisoners
THERANDA (SUHAREKA): The following were released from the prison in Nish – Abaz, Xhevat and Maliq Shukolli from the village of Dukla (Duhla), Arif Haziraj from Ujmir (Savrova), Shaban Lumi from Bllaca and Fatmir Berisha from Vranik (Vraniq). Bislim Qerkinaj from the village of Ujmir (Savrova) was released from the prison in Prokuple.
Presheva, Bujanoc, Medvegja
BUJANOC: On June
6, the 26th court session against Sevdail Hyseni, the editor in chief of
the “Jehona” magazine, was held at the municipal court in Bujanoc. He was
accused of insulting the Serbian people in his book of satirical poetry
“Kur të qeshë fati”. The session was postponed for an indefinite
period (until the book is translated).
On 8 June, at
about 12.00, a police vehicle ran into an explosive device in the vicinity
of the village of Konçul, in the security zone between Kosova and
Serbia. 5 policemen were wounded (one of them severely). The policemen
were taken to the Vranja Hospital.
On 9 June, at
about 15.00, Sejdi Zahiri (1940), the janitor with the primary school in
Konçul, was arrested by the Serbian police. The very same day, police
ill-treated a teacher with this school and threatened the pupils with an
automatic gun telling them to leave. Ever since, the school was closed.
KFOR and UNMIK interventions
MITROVICA: On June 1 and 2, under the pretext of searching for weapons, French soldiers raided many Albanian houses in the Lagja e Boshnjakëve quarter. Furniture in many houses was broken and demolished. No weapons were found. The houses of the following were raided: Xhelal Hazir Ademi (48), Muhamet Hasan Ademi (58), Bajram Shaban Peci (71), Hysamedin Bajram Peci (42), Nazmi Miftar Fejza (46), Ragip Nimon Azemi (55), Ali Mon Hasani (45), Kefsere Ramadan Jolla (57), Ali Shaip Bekteshi (45), Ragbet Kadri Kurteshi (35), Nysret Hasan Hoti (37), Remzi Bajram Gërguri (47), Muhamet Sadik Sadiku (37), Mehmet Haradin Neziri (56), Nazmije Ahmet Prestreshi, Bajram Rexhep Çelaj (44), Hashim Hazir Parduzi (58), Avdi Ramadan Avdiu (31) and Skënder Qazim Selimi (47).
PRISHTINA: On 2 June, on the decision of dr. Bernard Kouchner, the UN civil administrator in Kosova, the publication of the “Dita” daily was banned for the next 8 days. The daily was accused of publishing on 27 April the article “When Petar becomes Peter”. In it, Petar Topolski, an employee with UNMIK, was accused for war crimes. By doing so, according to the UNMIK administration, the killing of the latter was provoked. He was killed on 16 May. KFOR soldiers and UNMIK police prevented the journalists from going to their offices in the Media House.
Prishtina, 12 June 2000
Information Service