Wochenbericht Nr. 504 der
REPORT NO. 504
ON THE SITUATION OF
THE HUMAN RIGHTS
AND FREEDOMS IN KOSOVA
FROM JULY 1
UNTIL JULY 9, 2000
REPORT no. 504
on the situation of human rights and freedoms
in Kosova from July1 until July 9, 2000
The fact that the number of the killed was higher than usual (compared to the previous period) is very concerning. Among the killed there were elderly and people of different nationalities. Once again, the killings are perpetrated by unidentified persons and are criminal acts or acts of revenge. The wounding of brothers Ramush and Daut Haradinaj, former KLA commanders, is very concerning. This act is explained in different ways – as an act of revenge or politically motivated. These too, are very concerning. This case as well as similar ones, which are qualified as a “violation of human rights and freedoms”, are to be investigated by police and judicial bodies.
Between June 1 and 9, 5 Kosovars were killed (2 Albanians, 1 Serb and 2 persons whose identity could not be confirmed). 11 persons were wounded (one in a mine accident), 6 Albanians (among them a 2-month old baby), 3 Roma (including 2 children), a Montenegrin woman and a German soldier. 3 Albanians were abducted (including one woman). Later on, they were released or managed to escape. A kidnap attempt of a young Albanian girl was reported in Vushtrri. A Roma went missing. 107 corpses were exhumed (of whom 15 were identified). 2 human skeletons were found and identified inside the ruins of a burned house.
Killings
According to the UNMIK police, on July 1, at about 5 p.m., in the village of Livoç i Epërm near Gjilan, 4 unidentified persons aged between 20 and 25 attacked a group of 7-8 elderly Serbs, who were herding the cattle. Nikola Stojanoviq (80) was shot dead.
On July 2 – a corpse was found in the village of Bardhoshan (Bardosan) near Gjakova. According to the UNMIK police, the victim had injuries on its head and body. It also had a gun and a hand grenade in its hand.
On July 4 – in the evening hours,
an unidentified corpse was found in the village of Llausha near Besiana.
.
On July 6 – in the center of Besiana,
unidentified persons opened fire at Ukshin Zeqiri (43) from the village
of Llausha (who died of the wounds suffered). The killing, according to
certain indicators, was an act of revenge.
On July 8 - at about 10 p.m., 2 unidentified persons killed Cenë Muharrem Luta (49) from the village of Malësia near Rahovec. According to his brother, the assaulters came into their house yard and took Cena with them (allegedly to talk with him). A few moments later, Cena was killed near his house (in the presence of his family members).
Mass graves – exhumations, the identification of the killed
GJAKOVA: 15 out of the 69 corpses,
which were exhumed from the cemetery in Gjakova were identified by the
experts of the Hague Tribunal (according to the clothes they were wearing).
The victims were mainly from the municipality of Gjakova. The following
were identified: Hysen Hysni Rraci (17), Hysen Islam Deda (77), Nexhmije
Aqif Shtaloja (57), Skënder Kolë Gërçari (48) and
Afërdita Dedë Demjaha (38) from Gjakova; Isuf Lush Shoshi (24)
and Xhemë Sadri Fetahu (29) from Skivjan, Haxhi Isuf Haxhiu (75) from
Nec, Tafil Shaban Hereçi (37) from Krelan and Bajram Hereçi
(78) from Shqiponja (Jabllanica); Flora Shkëlzen Krasniqi (20) and
Memë Kuçi (74) from the village of Junik near Deçan;
Hasan Rexhep Dalldallaj (25) from Dasam (Saradran) near Burim; Hazër
Ramadan Ramadani (47) from Buroja near Skënderaj and Ajmane Shaban
Shala.
RAHOVEC: After 2 weeks of intensive
work, the forensic experts of the Hague Tribunal exhumed 38 corpses from
3 mass graves in the village of Brestos (at Përroi i Hamocit, Lisi
i Bajrakut and a location inside the village). The corpses were taken to
the morgue in Berrjaka. On March 25, 1999 the Serbian police and military
forces killed 44 Albanian civilians in the village of Brestos.
SKËNDERAJ: 2 human skeletons
were found inside the ruins of the burned house of Sadri Shala in the village
of Leçina. They were identified according to the clothes they were
wearing. The killed are Ali Shala (60) and his mother Hysa (80). Since
September 27, 1998 they were considered missing.
Disappearances and kidnappings
VUSHTRRI: According to the UNMIK
police, on July 2, at about 3 p.m., a kidnap attempt of a young Albanian
girl was reported in Vushtrri. One suspect was arrested.
MTROVICA: According to KFOR, on
July 3, a Roma went missing in the village of Zhitkoc.
BESIANA: According to the UNMIK
police, on July 3, 2 Albanians (aged 21 and 40) were abducted in Besiana.
In both cases the abductors were arrested.
PRISHTINA: According to Fadil Çadraku,
on July 5, at about 10 a.m., in the vicinity of the city stadium, 3 persons,
among whom one called Shaqa, abducted Bahtie Çadraku (44) (Fadil’s
wife). She was forced into a car and taken towards Peja. In the village
of Bubavec, Bahtia managed to escape. In a traumatized condition she returned
home.
The prisoners-trials
DRENAS: According to the Sub-CDHRF
in Drenas on June 30, Idriz Krasniqi from the village of Fatos (Negroc)
was released from the prison in Pozharevc (Serbia). On June 29, brothers
Afrim and Halil Feriz Seferi, as well as Sali Muhamet Bytyçi, Muhamet
Limani and Gani Elshani from Çikatova e Re were released from the
very same prison. Sali Bytyçi stated that he had been arrested and
brutally ill-treated by Pero Damjanac, Zenel Hoti and 3 Serbs called Rajko,
Vela and Simiq.
KAÇANIK: On June 30, Shefqet
Fazli Beqa and Qamil Abazi from Hani i Elezit, who were arrested on September
3, 1999 in the village of Laç, were released from the prison in
Nish (Serbia). According to family members, on being released Qamil was
immediately taken to the hospital in Gjilan.
MITROVICA: On July 3, at about 8
a.m., dr. Bart Jahnsen and dr. Mary-Clair Paty, WHO officials, were released
from the prison in Novi-Pazar. They were arrested on July 2, near the Ibri
damn, 20 km. from Mitrovica (on the road to Rozhaja). They were accused
of entering the territory of Serbia without visas.
Arsenije Vitosheviq (61), a Serb
from the town of Rahovec, indicted for war crimes, escaped from the hospital
in the northern part of Mitrovica. He was taken to hospital as he complained
of high blood pressure.
The district court in Mitrovica
postponed the trial against Lulzim Ademi (1970), who was indicted for war
crimes against the local Albanian population. He was arrested on July 16,
1999. On February 23, 2000 he escaped from the prison in the northern part
of Mitrovica.
GJILAN: On July 4, Dragan Nikoliq,
a dentist from the village of Gërnçar near Vitia, was sentenced
by the district court in Gjilan to a prison term of 12,5 years. He was
accused of killing Xhemail Ademi from the village of Lubishta on April
5, 1999 (together with a group of 7 uniformed Serbs).
On July 7, the trial against Bozhidar
Stojanoviq (1962) continued at the district court in Gjilan. He was accused
of killing Ramadan Kadriu from the village of Smira near Vitia on April
15, 1999. He was also accused of ill-treating the local villagers.
PRISHTINA: On July 5, the following
were released from the prison in Nish (Serbia): Nazif Gjylani, Xhevdet
Gjylani and Ajet Zariqi from the village of Lugdren (Baica), Sabit Thaçi
and Ismajl Gashi from Llapushnik, Hysni Podrimçaku from Gurras (Krajkova),
Abedin Mulaj from Çikatova e Re and Florim Istogu from Fortesa (Vërboc)
– municipality of Drenas; Jakup Ademi from Bardhash (Bradash) near Besiana,
Afrim Salihu from Druar near Vushtrri and Arsim Krasniqi from Lugaja (Llukar)
near Prishtina (The latter’s brother Agim Krasniqi was released from the
military prison in Nish on June 30. He stated that 6 Albanians are still
being kept in the prison in Nish), Bekim Susuri (23) from the village of
Zhur near Prizren and Shefqet Makshani (37) from Drenoc near Ferizaj (the
above mentioned were sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment); Bekim Jusufi
from Besiana, sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment; Sali Fazliu from Kastriot
(Obiliq), sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment, and Xhemajl Berisha from
Drenoc near Ferizaj, sentenced to 1,5 year of imprisonment.
On July 6, Hysni Bytyçi, the defendant
of dr. Flora Brovina, a poetess and a human rights activist, who was sentenced
at the district court in Nish to 12 years of imprisonment, stated that
a new trial is not to be expected until autumn. In June, the Supreme Court
of Serbia annulled the decision of the first instance court and returned
the case to the district court in Nish.
FUSHË-KOSOVA: On July 6, Mile
Paviq (40) from the village of Lajthiza (Slivova) near Prishtina, escaped
from the KFOR hospital in Fushë-Kosova (where he underwent a caecum
surgery). He was arrested due to an attack on a KFOR soldier on December
15, 1999.
SKËNDERAJ: On July 7, Dejan
Kelanoviq, a Serb who was identified by many Albanian families as a direct
participant in the killing of 7 Albanians in Skënderaj on March 20,
1999, was released from the prison in Mitrovica.
KLINA: On July 7, the following
were released from prison: Skënder Bajraktari, Nezir Bajraktari, Arben
Bajraktari and Luan Ahmetgjekaj – all from the village of Rudesh (Rudica).
They were arrested by the Serbian forces in spring 1998.
July 1
BESIANA: At 4.45 a.m., there was a blast in front of the shopping mall in Besiana. The nearby shops were damaged.
June 2
MITROVICA: Between 9 p.m. and midnight,
there was automatic fire in the northern part of Mitrovica and the village
of Tejibër i Epërm (Suhadoll) (a village currently inhabited
only by Serbs).
LIPJAN: At about 7 p.m., a fire
broke out in the “Blinaja” Tourist Agency. Thanks to the intervention of
the workers the fire was localized. Yet, several offices were severely
damaged. The persons who set the fire are unknown.
July 3
VITI: At about 3.45 a.m., there was
a blast in the vacant house of Shaip Aliu, a Roma from the village of Kabash.
The house was completely destroyed. Several houses in its vicinity were
damaged, especially the house of Ismet Haxhiu. The latter, his wife Feime
and their 2-month-old child were wounded.
PRISHTINA: At about 1.30 a.m., a
group of youngsters (5-6) attacked an officer of the Police Service of
Kosova in front of the National Theatre in Prishtina. The policeman managed
to arrest one of the assaulters.
MITROVICA: There are continuous
threats to the workers and the participants in the programs of Radio Mitrovica.
July 4
MITROVICA: According to UNMIK, those
who were evicted by force from their homes in the northern and southern
parts of Mitrovica are registering their properties in accordance to the
agreement reached between UNMIK, dr. Bajram Rexhepi and Oliver Ivanoviq
for the return of the displaced to their homes. Yet, a group of 50-60 Serbs,
who were led by Dushko Shilikoviq, protested against these plans, as they
are reluctant to release the Albanian flats they have occupied.
DEÇAN: Under the pretext
of guarding the Monastery in Deçan, KFOR forces had stopped all
traffic towards the Bjeshkët e Nemuna mountains (between the monastery
and the border with Montenegro). Recently, the checkpoint was removed.
KFOR soldiers stated that “in case of any hostile activity against the
Serbian monastery or KFOR” the road would be blocked again.
July 5
LIPJAN: At about 1 a.m., unidentified
persons threw a bomb at the house of Ismet Zaskoku in the village of Fushëlot
(Rubovc). The bomb was thrown into the children’s room. Fortunately they
were not at home.
MITROVICA: The family of Qazim Misin
Hyseni (64) from the “Kodra e Minatorëve” quarter was prevented from
burying the latter in the cemetery in the northern part of the town. Qazim
died at the Prishtina Hospital on July 3. KFOR soldiers told the family
of the deceased that they could not guarantee security to those attending
the funeral. The family had to bury him in the village of Sylan (Shupkoc).
At about 10 a.m., Xhelal Rexhep
Elshani (54), the manager of the Bureau for Social Insurance in Mitrovica,
was assaulted in his office by Ilmi Shyqyri Miftari (42). Xhelal suffered
injuries on his face.
A grenade was thrown at the house
of a Bosniac family in the northern part of Mitrovica. Fortunately, there
were no casualties. Considerable material damage was caused.
DRENAS: At about 9.20 a.m., an explosive
device was found in an office in the Municipal Council in Drenas. It was
probably left there by the Serbian forces.
SHTËRPCA: American and Polish
soldiers arrested Radojko Keciq, one of the organizers of the protests
in Shtërpca, which were violent. He was taken to the prison of the
Bondsteel camp in Sojeva near Ferizaj.
PRIZREN: According to Scott Slaten,
unidentified persons threw a bottle with gasoline at a vehicle of the Austrian
Red Cross. The incident occurred in the village of Mirëz (Dobrusha).
GJILAN: According to KFOR, the number
of crimes in the Anamorava region has increased. During the week, the following
cases were registered: 15 cases of arson, 25 assaults, 60 cases of looting,
5 explosions, 2 mine explosions, 2 cases of shooting from fire weapons,
1 suicide, 61 traffic accidents, 1.202 traffic fines and 15 cases of threats.
July 6
DEÇAN: While travelling to
the village of Gllogjan, in the vicinity of the village of Strall (Strellc),
Ramush Haradinaj, the former UÇK commander for the Dukagjini region
and the former deputy commander of the TMK, the chairman of the AAK and
his brother, Daut Haradinaj, the commander of the III zone of the TMK,
were wounded. Daut was seriously wounded on his leg. Ramush suffered serious
injuries on his face and body and was taken in a KFOR helicopter to the
Bondsteel camp in Sojeva near Ferizaj. Later on, he was taken in a military
plane to Germany, where he underwent surgery. There are different reports
with regard to the incident. Ramush and Daut Haradinaj were wounded by
Sadik Musaj, a villager from Strall. According to the father of the latter,
their family was in dispute with the Haradinaj family.
LIPJAN: After midnight, in the vicinity
of the Agricultural Cooperative in Lipjan, a bomb was thrown at the house
of Agron Zaskoku (36), a former UÇK soldier. There were no casualties.
RAHOVEC: At about 9 p.m., several
shots were heard in the village of Hoça e Madhe near Rahovec (a
village inhabited by Serbs). The shots occurred during a meeting between
Kharass Kane, the UNMIK administrator in Rahovec, and Almaz Zerih (an associate
of his), with the local Serbian villagers. The Serbs blocked the roads
and prevented the administrator from leaving. They threw stones at his
and other UN cars (several were damaged). The next day, Hashim Muhamed
from Malaysia, the spokesman of the UNMIK police, stated that local Serbs
threw stones at KFOR soldiers and UNMIK police, who despite their effort
did not manage to go into the village. He confirmed that there was an exchange
of fire between the Serbs from Hoça e Madhe and the villagers of
Opterusha. Major Scott Slaten stated that a German soldier was injured.
The UNMIK administrator, Kane, expressed his doubts regarding the claims
of the local Serbs that the Albanians had attacked them and added that
this was prepared by the Serbs to accuse the international community for
insufficient efforts to create security for them.
PRIZREN: At about midnight, a vacant
Serbian house was burned in Prizren. The fire spread to another Serbian
house (occupied by an Albanian family). In the vicinity of the sports centre,
a hand grenade was found.
July 7
MITROVICA: At about 10 p.m., a group
of Serbs tried to break into the flat of prof. Sejdi Selman Sylejmani (76)
in the “Ibri” quarter. His wife Miradija (66) went out to the balcony and
shouted “police”. The assaulters fled.
At about 10 p.m., several bombs
were thrown at the Roma camp in the “Ibri” quarter in the northern part
of Mitrovica. One of the bombs hit a house wounding 3 Roma (a grown up
and 3 children). One of the wounded, in a critical condition, was taken
to hospital.
LIPJAN: In the early hours of the
morning, unidentified persons threw a bomb inside the “Fati” restaurant
in the centre of Lipjan. Considerable material damage was caused.
July 8
MITROVICA: At about 3 p.m., in the
vicinity of the place called “Polet”, a group of 7 Serbs severely ill-treated
Sheremet Ilaz Haka (57) from the “Kodra e Minatorëve” quarter. The
latter went to town to buy food.
A few days ago, a group of Serbs
in the “Ibri” quarter physically ill-treated Didare Vehbi Zeneli (60) and
Fatime Zeqir Çerkini (58). The two were on their way to the “Mother
Theresa” Humanitarian and Charitable Association.
DEÇAN: According to KFOR,
one person stepped on a land mine and suffered serious injuries in the
vicinity of the Deçan Monastery.
BESIANA: Unidentified persons wounded
Kosta Sinani (72), a Montenegrin, in her house in the village of Pollata.
July 9:
PRISHTINA: The principle of the “Xhevdet Doda” Gymnasium informed the CDHRF that irresponsible individuals are trying to usurp the schoolyard.
Presheva, Bujanoc, Medvegja
PRESHEVA: A commission, which was
established by the Municipal Assembly of Presheva, has assessed that during
the war, 11 Albanians were killed and 5 were wounded in this municipality.
44 houses and 12 public buildings were burned. 180 houses were looted and
demolished. Many villages in the Karadaku region: Buhiq, Peqen, Sefer,
Gajra and Gosponica, were emptied. Ilinca, Maxhera, Ratanoc, Buoc, Shoshaja
e Epërme and Kurbalia were partially emptied.
BUJANOC: In the village of Miratoc
near Presheva and in several cafés in Bujanoc, the Serbian police
has undertaken a wide campaign under the pretext of searching for weapons.
On the road between Bujanoc and Kumanova, a truck full of building material
(owned by Xhavit Beqiri from Samolica) was looted.
Prishtina, July 10, 2000
Information Service
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