[A-PAL] A-PAL Newsletter, No. 013

[kosova at jps.net]

Welcome to Albanian Prisoner Advocacy List -- Prisoner Pals Newsletter,
No. 013, March 06, 2000

This report highlights the developments on the prisoner issue for the week
of February 27, 2000.

==========================================
A-PAL STATEMENT:
==========================================
	International Crisis Group Senior Consultant, Suzy Blaustein, from her CSCE
Hearing report on prisoners: "It was U.S. officials in Washington who
allowed the issue of Albanian prisoners to be dropped from the negotiating
table (Kumoanovo), nevertheless, that pragmatic omission does not in any way
relieve the parties of the obligation to release all POWS and civilians
detained and arrested during the armed conflict. This obligation is
incumbent upon all signatories to the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions of
1949 and Protocol II of 1978."
	There are times when democratic governments fail to actively support the
very international human rights laws that they themselves have signed.  When
that happens, the citizens of those countries must call their leaders to
task and remind them of their obligations to provide equality under the law
for "the very least of us".  In this case those 1,300 Albanians still
suffering in Serb prisons. Our immediate initiative now is to email the
members of the UN Security Council, as described below, to remind them of
their obligations under the Geneva Conventions. Not only should they appoint
a special envoy and ask the International War Crimes Tribunal to investigate
this ongoing violation of the Geneva Conventions, but they should request
the "broadest possible amnesty" and should appoint a neutral country to
serve as the advocate for the prisoners, a role usually assigned to the
ICRC, who in this case have been unusually weak in assisting prisoners and
their families. In that case, according to the Conventions, a neutral
country should be present to ensure their fair and humane treatment, medical
care, and legal services.  We hope you will read the narrative of recently
released prisoner, Enver Hashani, to remind yourself that the prison system
in Serbia is inhumane and brutal.
	In addition to the Albanian prisoners, more and more Serbs are being
arrested because of their political beliefs and their attempts to move
towards a more democratic government. Grupa 484 has asked us to help spread
the word on the record number of beatings and arrests now being suffered by
Serbs, especially with Resistance movement members. While we at APP want to
remain focused on the specific problem of the Albanians imprisoned during
the NATO war, we believe that equality under the law is a moral imperative.
Serb human rights leaders and lawyers have played a key role in the survival
and release of the imprisoned Albanians. They have shown far more integrity
and courage than the ICRC and UNHCHR, who are supposed to perform these
roles, but don't in Serbia for fear of being forced to leave. The beatings,
harassment, and imprisonment Serb resisters now face, are crimes eerily
similar to those the Albanians faced in Kosova under the 10 years of
oppression from Belgrade. For ten years, they begged for lawful intervention
and support and never received it.
	Must we all now wait for a bloody civil war within Serbia?
	The international community must bring light to bear on the Serb justice
system and its role in promoting and maintaining social violence and
oppression. In this capacity, ICRC and UNHCHR have so far performed
disgracefully. If the UN Security Council fails to respond to Bernard
Kouchner in his pleas for help in asking for a Special Envoy and amnesty on
March 6, 2000, then they too, will have performed disgracefully.

==========================================
THIS WEEK’S TOPICS:
==========================================
* LAWYERS COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: Appeal of the criminal conviction of
Dr. Flora Brovina
* COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE: The Plight of Kosovo's
Displaced and Imprisoned Detailed
* STATEMENT AT THE CSCE HEARING CHAIRED BY CHRISTOPHER SMITH: John
Menzies-Special U.S. Advisor on Kosovo-- Comments on Albanian Prisoners
* ASSOCIATION OF POLITICAL PRISONERS: Interviews conducted in Kosova,
January/February 2000
* HUMANITARIAN LAW CENTER COMMUNIQUE: Thirteen Kosovo Albanians released
* ALICE MEAD: Letter to Vice President Albert Gore
* AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE: Serb opposition leader faces trial on March 7
* THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: Congressional commission espouses plight of ethnic
Albanians, Serbs
* KOSOVAPRESS: Taken from the daily newspaper "Kosova sot"
* KOSOVAPRESS: A prisoner it is released from prison of Nishi
* KOSOVAPRESS: The process of prisoners will be debated in OSCE
* KOSOVAPRESS: Protests for the release of Albanian hostages
* KOSOVAPRESS: From the Serb jails today were released 23 Albanians
* KOSOVAPRESS: Hunger strike of the Albanian prisoners who are being kept in
Prishtina's prison
* WOLFGANG PLARRE: Letter to US Security Council
* AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE: Number of victims buried in Kosovo still unknown -
Robinson
* HUMANITARIAN LAW CENTER COMMUNIQUE: Presevo Mayor On Political Trial
* KOSOVAPRESS: Thaçi's Address to the Kosovar Residence
* HELSINKI COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN SERBIA: Student Forum: Confidence
Building Measures between Serbs and Albanians
* OTPOR! (RESISTENCE!): List of arrested and taken in activists
* HUMANITARIAN LAW CENTER COMMUNIQUE: Presevo Mayor On Political Trial
* REUTERS: Serb opposition party says police detained members

==========================================
QUOTES OF THE WEEK:
==========================================

	John Menzies, Kosovo Advisor for US State Department, February 28,at CSCE
Commission Hearing, "The continued detention of Albanians in Serbia remains
a tragic and acutely vexing issue for the international community..." He
went on to add that Canada, Italy, and Japan are three countries besides
Finland who have embassies and diplomatic relations with Belgrade.
	CSCE Commission Chairman, Chris Smith, (NJ)- "We know all too well that few
efforts to build democratic values and a tolerant society in Kosovo or
elsewhere in the region can succeed without addressing the role of Slobodan
Milosevic and the need for democratic change in Serbia itself."
	Radoslva Nedic, at 12th Conference of the Serbian Lawyers Association: "The
current state of affairs of the Serbia judiciary is catastrophic, the
prosecutor's office passive and under regime control with the courts ruling
in favor of the regime."
	Carl Bildt, UN Special Envoy to the Balkans: The UN must continue to search
for peace in the region, especially in Kosovo. There is no proper peace
agreement in Kosovo."
	UN US Ambassador Richard Holbrooke: "The international community is
handicapped by the regime in Belgrade and the large number of war criminals
still at large."

==========================================
WEEK’S REQUESTED ACTION:
==========================================
	Email the members of the UN Security Council countries and inform them of
the unjust situation regarding the 1,600 prisoners. Ask them to appoint a
Special Envoy from both the UN and the International War Crimes Tribunal,
requesting the broadest possible amnesty from the Serb Ministry of Justice.
This amnesty is what they would have been granted under the Geneva
Conventions. The prisoners should have been released on June 10, 1999,  but
these terms were dropped from the Kumanovo Agreement.
	Members of the UN Security Council through December, 2000.  The presidency
rotates each month and is listed as well.  The fifteen countries are:

1. United States of America: usaun at undp.org
   (Pres/January,2000)
2. United Kingdom: uk at un.it
3. Ukraine: ukrun at undp.org
4. Tunisia:  tunun at undp.org
5. Russian Federation: rusun at un.int
   (Pres/December)
6. Malaysia: mysun at undp.org
   (Pres/August)
7. Netherlands: netherlands at un.int
   (Pres/November)
8. Jamaica: jamaica at un.int
   (Pres/July)
9. France: france at un.int
   (Pres/June)
10. China: chinun at undp.org
   (Pres/May)
11. Canada: canada at un.int
   (Pres/April)
12. Bangladesh: bangladesh at un.int
   (Pres/March)
13. Argentina: argentina at un.int
   (Pres/February)
14. Mali (do not have e-mail address)
   (Pres/September)
15. Namibia (do not have e-mail address)
   (Pres/Oct.)

	The primary function of the Security Council is maintain peace and security
in accordance with the principles of the UN.  These include the Geneva
Conventions. The prisoner issue is a violation of Geneva Conventions 3 and
4. All parties here are co-signers, and are therefore responsible for the
welfare of the prisoners. Remind these countries that the Geneva Conventions
of 1949 were enacted for situations just like this one. It is their sworn
duty to carry out these policies. The Conventions are a minimum standard.
They are not optional. The NATO war in Kosovo was ended with an
international agreement, not a local agreement, therefore the Conventions
apply.
	Also, RECOMMEND methods of adjusting settlements to disputes that are a
threat to peace.  Ask for a Special Envoy to reach a settlement on behalf of
the prisoners in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and international
standards regarding detention and arrests, use of torture, and lack of fair
trials.
	Another function is to formulate plans and to supervise the international
court of justice.  Ask for a Special Envoy from ICTY to systematically
investigate the "disappearances" thousands of missing Albanians.

YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE DEAD TO HAVE HUMAN RIGHTS.

==========================================
FULL REPORTS AND ARTICLES BEGIN HERE:
==========================================

LAWYERS COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Appeal of the criminal conviction of Dr. Flora Brovina

March 2, 2000

Honorable Balsa Govedarica
President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Serbia

Honorable Dragomir Stojanovic
President of the Criminal Division of the Supreme Court of the Republic of
Serbia

REF: Appeal of the criminal conviction of Dr. Flora Brovina

Dear President Govedarica:
	The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (Lawyers Committee) writes regarding
the prosecution of Dr. Flora Brovina, a medical doctor, poet, and human
rights activist. On December 9, 1999, Dr. Brovina was convicted by the
District Court in Niš of conspiracy to commit the crime of terrorism. She
was sentenced to 12 years in prison. She has appealed her conviction and
sentence to the honorable Supreme Court of the Republic of Serbia.
	The Lawyers Committee is a non-governmental organization which works to
ensure that governments protect human rights and respect the rule of law.
Our office has reviewed the trial record and court judgment in this case,
which we understand is one of approximately 950 pending prosecutions against
ethnic Albanians arrested in Kosovo and subsequently transferred to various
jurisdictions within Serbia for trial. After examination of the court record
in Dr. Brovina’s case, as well as the testimony of trial observers, we write
to share our concerns about the prosecution, and to inform the court of
certain considerations of international law which have application to the
case.
	We appeal to your honorable President of the Supreme Court of Serbia in the
spirit of judicial fairness and impartiality consecrated in Yugoslav and
international law. We note that responsibility for reviewing and correcting
errors of domestic and international law by the District Court now lies with
the Supreme Court of Serbia. Since questions of international law raised in
this case might arise in the large number of similarly situated cases likely
to come before this and other appellate courts in the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (FRY or Yugoslavia), we believe it is imperative that we
communicate with you.
	Like its predecessor State, FRY is a Party to the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Yugoslavia ratified in 1971 and
the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment (Convention Against Torture), which Yugoslavia
ratified in 1991. Customary international law likewise binds the FRY. FRY
officials have expressly acknowledged this fact in several international
proceedings.
	Several legal provisions reinforce these international standards within
Yugoslav law. First, the supreme law of the FRY – its Federal Constitution -
incorporates the international treaties to which the FRY is a party, as well
as customary international law, into national law. In addition,
international law requires that every court of the FRY apply its national
codes of criminal law and procedure in a manner that is consistent with
international standards. Likewise, both the Convention Against Torture and
the ICCPR require that States Parties conform their own procedural law to
international norms, and that they apply that law equally and in a
non-discriminatory manner.
	We believe that FRY’s legal obligations were in full force at the time of
Dr. Brovina’s arrest, and continue to the present. First, we note that the
FRY had not acted to trigger the provisions of ICCPR, Article 4, which
permit limited derogation from some ICCPR provisions during severe public
emergencies. The 1949 Geneva Conventions apply during armed conflict and
govern the treatment of persons detained during such conflict. Common
Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions guaranteed certain basic
protections to Dr. Brovina and other non-combatants.
Relevant facts in the case of Dr. Flora Brovina
	Our understanding of the facts of this case are that Serbian forces
arrested Dr. Brovina in Priš tina, Kosovo on April 20, 1999. She was
indicted by the Niš District Attorney on October 20 with conspiracy to
commit the crime of terrorism and other offenses under paragraph 1 of
Article 136 and Article 125 of the Yugoslav Criminal Law. According to the
information which the District Attorney filed with the District Court, the
factual basis for the charges stemmed from Dr. Brovina’s work as a
pediatrician and as the founder of the Albanian League of Women.
	Over the first month of her detention, Dr. Brovina was interrogated for
more than 200 hours in 18 separate sessions. These interrogations typically
extended from 7:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon, without food
or time to rest. Dr. Brovina was afforded no opportunity to meet privately
with her attorney during the month-long interrogation. Her family was unable
to locate her during the two months she was detained in Kosovo during which
time the police moved her numerous times among unofficial makeshift
detention cells. She reported also that she was denied the medication she
normally takes for her painful angina condition. The police extracted a
confession from Dr. Brovina, who acknowledged signing the statement only to
escape further mistreatment. She testified that the purported admission of
guilt contained in the confession was untrue and was the product of
coercion.
	It appears from the record that Dr. Brovina was tried and convicted on the
basis of this confession, supported by one photograph of her next to an
alleged KLA member and some medicines found in her possession. It also
appears the District Court may have allowed the prosecution to travel to
Montenegro to take the testimony of a witness without affording Dr. Brovina
the opportunity to confront or question this individual. On December 9,
1999, the last day of trial, the District Attorney expanded the charge
against Dr. Brovina, which was originally based on acts allegedly committed
before the declaration of the state of emergency in FRY, to include acts
alleged during the state of emergency. It is our understanding that the
expansion of the factual basis for the charge permitted the District Court
to impose a more severe sentence pursuant to Article 139 of the Yugoslav
Criminal Law. The new charges also permitted the court to admit the
confession which had not been proffered into evidence until the new charges
were made. Prior to accepting the confession, the court made no inquiry into
Dr. Brovina’s allegation that the confession had been coerced. Later that
day, the District Court sentenced Dr. Brovina to twelve years in prison. Dr.
Brovina subsequently made a timely appeal of her conviction and sentence.
	Of the facts summarized here--the length of detention, the extent of
uncounseled interrogations, the lapse prior to the issuance of charges, the
sudden change in the charges and the introduction of the confession—none are
disputed, except the allegations of mistreatment. It is also not disputed
that the court made no effort to determine whether the confession, which
resulted from this prolonged custodial interrogation, had been coerced. In
light of these facts, we wish to draw to your attention some fundamental
legal principles which we believe compel the conclusion that Dr. Brovina’s
conviction rests on a violation of her basic rights.
	International legal provisions guarantee several rights to a detainee such
as Dr. Brovina. In particular, a person has a right to prompt notice of the
charges against her; the right to challenge the lawfulness of detention; the
right to assistance of counsel; the right to trial within a reasonable time;
and, most importantly, the right not to be tortured in an attempt to coerce
a confession. At trial, two other fundamental rights come into play. A
defendant may not be surprised by new charges or evidence for which there
has been no adequate opportunity to prepare and the trial process should not
admit a confession, which is the product of coercion, mistreatment or
torture.

PRE-TRIAL RIGHTS
Access to counsel and family during initial detention period
	We believe that the 30-day interrogation period, during which time Dr.
Brovina was not informed of the charges against her and was denied access to
her lawyer, cannot be reconciled with long-established principles of
international law. Dr. Brovina’s right to be informed of the reasons for her
detention are grounded in Article 9(1) of the ICCPR, which protects against
arbitrary detention and only allows for the deprivation of liberty in
accordance with law and Article 9(4) of the ICCPR, which entitles a detained
person to a prompt judicial determination the lawfulness of her deprivation
of liberty. Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions also guarantees Dr.
Brovina’s right to be informed of all the charges against her in order to
prepare her defense.

TORTURE AND MISTREATMENT
	We also believe that the conditions of Dr. Brovina’s detention rose to the
level of mistreatment and possibly torture. According to the United Nations
Human Rights Committee (HRC), the enforcement body of the ICCPR, States are
obliged to provide detainees and prisoners with services that will satisfy
their essential needs. (General Comment No. 21/44 of April 6, 1992). Article
3 of the Geneva Convention also requires observation of the right to receive
necessary medical care. It is our assessment that the length and
circumstances of Dr. Brovina’s interrogation, including the denial of
medication, rest and food triggers application of the Convention against
Torture which defines torture as "any act by which severe pain or suffering,
whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such
purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession
to the level of torture under these treaties." (Article 1(1)). Article 7 of
the ICCPR prohibits torture — or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment — and is a norm of customary international law that also belongs
to the category of jus cogens, i.e. peremptory norms accepted and recognized
by the international community of states, as a whole, as norms from which no
derogation is permitted.

TRIAL RIGHTS: DENIAL OF RIGHT TO PREPARE A DEFENSE
	By allowing the prosecution to add the charge that Dr. Brovina committed
unspecified acts during a period of national emergency, the District Court
prevented Dr. Brovina from preparing a defense to the new charge. The
fundamental right to a fair hearing, as provided for in Article 14 of the
ICCPR, establishes that everyone shall be entitled "to be informed promptly
and in detail in a language which he understands of the nature and cause of
the charge against him" (section (3)(g)) and "adequate time and facilities
for the preparation of his defense and to communicate with counsel of his
own choosing" in the determination of formal charges (section (3)(b)).

CONVICTION BASED ON COERCED CONFESSION
	Furthermore, the change in the charge allowed the prosecution to admit the
confession, which formed the basis for Dr. Brovina’s conviction. In the
determination of any criminal charge against him or her, everyone is
entitled "Not to be compelled to testify against himself or to confess
guilt" (ICCPR, Article 14(3)(g)). This provision aims to prohibit any form
of coercion, whether direct or indirect, physical or mental, and whether
before or during the trial, that could be used to force the accused to
testify against him/herself or to confess guilt. Article 15 of the
Convention Against Torture and Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions
prohibit admission of, and conviction based upon, coerced confessions.
	When allegations are made that a confession resulted from coercion, Article
12 of the Convention against Torture requires a judge to initiate an inquiry
into these claims to verify the legality of a confession. A judge has the
authority to consider an allegation of coercion or torture at any stage of
the proceedings (HRC, General Comment 13, para.15 of April 13, 1984). In the
case of Dr. Brovina, when the court failed to investigate her treatment
during interrogation, and then made the resulting confession the centerpiece
of her conviction, the court violated non-derogable duties under the ICCPR
and the Convention Against Torture, as incorporated into Yugoslav law by
article 16 of the Constitution.
	The circumstances of Dr. Brovina’s detention, confession, trial, and
sentence raise serious questions regarding the validity of the judicial
process in this case under FRY and International law. For this reason, the
Lawyers Committee respectfully urges you to consider how the legal
principles discussed above support the appeal of Dr. Brovina’s conviction.
We also hope that every appropriate measure will be taken to ensure that
future judicial proceedings be brought in accordance with international law.
	The Lawyers Committee appreciates your attention to this important matter
and will continue to follow developments in this case.

Sincerely

Robert O. Varenik
Director, Protection Program
Cc: Mr. Petar Jojic, Minister of Justice,
Ministry of Justice of FRY
Mr. Dragoljub Jankovic, Minister of Justice,
Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia
http://www.lchr.org/media/brovinaltr0300.htm

==========================================

COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE
The Plight of Kosovo's Displaced and Imprisoned Detailed

February 28, 2000

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- "We know all too well that few efforts
to build democratic and tolerant societies in Kosovo or anywhere in the
region can succeed without addressing the role of Slobodan Milosevic and the
need for democratic change in Serbia itself.  Until that occurs, the
international community will continue to be challenged in the region," said
Commission Chairman Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) at today's hearing
"Kosovo's Displaced and Imprisoned" held by the Commission on Security and
Cooperation in Europe.  Commissioner Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-VA) and Ranking
Commissioner Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) also attended.
	Testifying before the Commission were:  Ambassador John Menzies, Deputy
Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State for Kosovo
Implementation, U.S. Department of State; Bill Frelick, Director of Policy,
U.S. Committee for Refugees; His Grace Artemije, Serbian Orthodox Bishop of
Prizren and Raska; Andrzej Mirga, Chairman, Project on Ethnic Relations
Romani Advisory Council, and Co-Chair, Specialists Group on the Roma of the
Council of Europe; Susan Blaustein, Senior Consultant, International Crisis
Group; and Ylber Bajraktari, a political analyst from Kosovo.
	Smith emphasized that during this time of attempted reconciliation, "it is
particularly important that we are alert around the time of important
anniversaries, such as the anniversary of the NATO bombing that is
forthcoming."  He also said that "we must keep our focus on potential Hot
Spots that might devolve into another Kosovo, areas such as southern Serbia
or Montenegro.  And we must make every effort to remember the forgotten and
vulnerable in Kosovo -- the Roma, Conscientious Objectors, Muslim Slavs and
those Albanians accused by extremists to have been collaborators with the
Serbian regime."
	Smith called upon the Clinton Administration to raise the public level of
attention to the status of Albanian prisoners of conscience in Serbia and to
call upon the Serbian regime to comply with international law and release
them.
	Menzies, speaking for the Clinton Administration, said that "gradually,
peace is taking hold, and the resolution of the questions posed by the
displaced and imprisoned are important factors in building that peace.  The
key to the return of all citizens of Kosovo is security."
	However, Menzies said, "The continued detention of Albanians in Serbia
remains a tragic and acutely vexing issue for the international community.
Given our lack of diplomatic relations with Belgrade, it is difficult for
the U.S. Government to directly pressure the Milosevic regime on this
issue."
	Bishop Artemije recommended, "KFOR should be more robust in suppressing
vi)L(jKWK9ternational police should be brought to Kosovo.  Finally, the
international community, especially the U.S., should make clear to Kosovo
Albanian leaders, that they cannot create an ethnically cleansed state under
the protectorate of western democratic governments."
	Andrzej Mirga commented, "The most devastating effect on minds and feelings
of those belonging to minorities is the fact that the same atrocities which
were associated with Serbs during the conflict are taking place now in the
presence of international forces ....  Until civil society, rule of law, and
moderation are achieved it is hard to believe that these minorities will
feel secure."
	Susan Blaustein noted, "It was U.S. officials in Washington who allowed the
issue of the Albanian prisoners to be dropped from the negotiating table .
	Nevertheless, ... the pragmatic omission of the prisoner issue from the
military-technical agreement that brought the conflict to a much-desired
close does not in any way relieve the parties to that conflict of the
obligation to release, immediately upon the cessation of hostilities, all
prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians detained in the course of armed
conflict.  This obligation is incumbent upon all signatories to the Third
and Fourth Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the accompanying Protocol II of
1978.. "
	Ylber Bajraktari humanized the numbers by citing cases, such as:
24-year-old Albin Kurti, a former leader of the non-violent student
movement; Flora Brovina, a prominent pediatrician and human rights activist;
Ukshin Hoti, a Harvard graduate considered by some to be a possible future
leader of Kosovo; and, Bardhyl Caushi, Dean of the School of Law, University
of Pristina.
	Frelick recommended, "The U.S. Government and other donors should direct
bilateral funding to international nongovernmental organizations to develop
alternative networks to deliver humanitarian assistance in Serbia.  This
will not only establish alternative networks for the delivery of
humanitarian assistance, thus breaking the Yugoslav Red Cross' monopoly and
introducing healthy competition that will hopefully make the YRC more
accountable as well, but will also encourage the development of an active
and vibrant local NGO sector in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY)."
	Regarding resettlement, Frelick said, "The United States should institute
refugee processing out of Podgorica, Montenegro; President Clinton should
issue a presidential determination permitting the United States to consider
admitting certain categories of internally displaced persons in the FRY as
refugees for purposes of the U.S. resettlement program; and, the following
vulnerable groups such as:
	a)  Roma and Hashkalija (gypsies) who fled from Kosovo to Serbia proper,
Montenegro, or Macedonia would have a well-founded fear of persecution if
returned to Kosovo.
	b)  Ethnic Albanians from Kosovo who fled from Kosovo to Serbia proper or
Montenegro because of threats or persecution at the hands of ethnic Albanian
nationalists who accuse them of collaborating with the Serbian regime ruling
Kosovo until June 1999 and who have a well-founded fear of persecution if
returned to Kosovo.  A relatively small number of ethnic Albanians fled
Kosovo.
	c)  Serbian conscientious objectors.
	d)  Gorani, Slavic Muslims who fled Kosovo into Serbia proper or
Montenegro.
	e)  The refugees who continue to live in collective centers in Kosovo.
	f)  Members of Albanian-Serbian mixed marriages.
	g)  Ethnic Albanians from Serbia proper (mostly Presevo) who have fled into
Macedonia.
	h)  Other ethnic and religious minorities from Kosovo."

Background
	Approximately two years ago, a decade of severe repression and lingering
ethnic tensions in Kosovo erupted into full-scale violence, leading
eventually to NATO intervention in early 1999 and UN administration
immediately thereafter.  The conflict in Kosovo was ostensibly between the
Serbian and Yugoslav forces controlled by Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic -- since indicted for war crimes -- on the one hand, and the
Kosovo Liberation Army which arose from more militant segments of Kosovo's
Albanian majority on the other.  As with previous phases of the Yugoslav
conflict, however, the primary victims have largely been innocent civilians.
Over one million ethnic Albanians were displaced during the conflict, as
well as over 100,000 Serbs and tens of thousands of Roma in the aftermath of
the international community's intervention.  Senseless atrocities were
frequently committed throughout this process of forced migration.  Many
remain unable to return, and the recent violence in the northern city of
Mitrovica demonstrates the continued volatility of the current situation.
Meanwhile, a large number of Kosovar Albanians, removed from the region
while it was still under Serbian control, languish in Serbian prisons to
this day.

==========================================

STATEMENT AT THE CSCE HEARING CHAIRED BY CHRISTOPHER SMITH
John Menzies-Special U.S. Advisor on Kosovo-- Comments on Albanian Prisoners

February 28, 2000

     The continued detention of Albanians in Serbia remains a tragic and
acutely vexing issue for the international community. Given our lack of
diplomatic relations with Belgrade, it is difficult for the U.S. Government
to directly pressure the Milosevic regime on this issue.
     However, the State Department has, since last summer, consistently
worked to raise the public and diplomatic profile of this issue, and to
leverage key players inside Serbia who can make a difference.
     To this end, we are supporting indigenous human rights NGOs working in
this area such as the Humanitarian Law Center and others who are monitoring
and in some cases defending these prisoners in sham court proceedings.
     Meanwhile, we have provided $350,000 to the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) mission in the FRY [Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia], which was appointed by SRSG [Special Representative of the
Secretary-General Bernard] Kouchner to lead the international effort to
secure the release of the detainees. These funds are directly supporting
UNHCHR efforts to monitor trials and secure the release of all detainees.
     According to the Humanitarian Law Center, there are at least 1300
persons illegally held in Serbian prisoners, including women and children.
It should be noted however that there may be more than 1300 detainees in
Belgrade-controlled prisons, indeed some estimates are as high as 5000.
     We are pleased that through the work of the High Commissioner on Human
Rights and the Humanitarian Law Center, some women and children have been
released for humanitarian reasons.
     Regrettably, the five to six hundred released to date have secured
their freedom through Kosovar Albanian families paying ransoms to corrupt
Serbian officials. In some cases, as much as DM 50,000 has been paid for a
single prisoner -- an average detainee currently costs DM 10,000.
     We have also repeatedly raised the matter diplomatically with UNMIK,
the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross), the International
Commission on Missing Persons, and bilaterally with NATO member states. We
have made it emphatically clear that there can be no reintegration of the
government of Serbia into the international community without prior release
of these prisoners.
     We have publicly registered our concern in these cases over the
apparent lack of due process, condemning Serbia's actions as an example of
their disregard for international norms of behavior.
     Others in the international community are also making efforts to
promote release of these prisoners. For example, the Finnish government has
negotiated with Belgrade for the release of prisoners.
     Many international, as well as U.S., NGOs are active on the issue. The
UK and Belgium offices of Amnesty International and Pax Christie, along with
the Association of Political Prisoners in Kosovo, continue to advocate
tirelessly for the release of prisoners. Courageous NGOs in Serbia are also
working this; the Belgrade-based NGOs Humanitarian Law Center, with a staff
of only three lawyers, and the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights continue
to defend Albanian prisoners.
     The truth is that European nations are in a better position than the
U.S. to take the lead on this issue. Some of our European allies, like
Italy, have representation in Belgrade and can pressure the Milosevic
regime. Canada and Japan also have representation in Belgrade.  It may also
be possible to encourage greater Russian participation.
     In addition, the U.S. has begun a dialogue with the Community of St.
Egidio to engage the FRY government on the issue.

==========================================

ASSOCIATION OF POLITICAL PRISONERS
Interviews conducted in Kosova, January/February 2000

March 01, 2000
By Alice Mead

	How did the 2,000 Albanians come to be in Serb prisons in the first place?
They were transferred there on June 10, 1999, when the Serbs realized that
US and NATO military advisors had agreed to strike the clause describing the
terms for release of all prisoners following the cessation of armed
hostilities. These 2,000 people were considered "expendable" as the US and
NATO hurried to end the air war as quickly as possible. Here are statements
from a few who have been released.
	The others said when I was released, please do all you can to help us. I
have seen wounded men in prison. Men with no eyes. Some men had lost many
family members in the war. I heard others scream from the torture and I had
no power to help. I cannot forget this.

HALIL MATOSHI
Avije Village, Prishtina
Released February 1, 2000

SHEMSI MUSLI
Shtrumbullova Village, Gllogoc
Arrested May 28, 1999
Age 14

	I was arrested on May 28 early in the morning in my yard. Many police and
paramilitary came in my yard. They came first at 5:00 a.m. to the village
and into our yard at 7:00 a.m. There were many refugees staying here from
other villages. Of the many men arrested, I think maybe only seventeen were
from here. The police took a piece of rope and tied my wrists together
behind my back. I had no shoes on, it was so early. They asked where my
father was, I was afraid to say because he was with KLA, so I said my uncle
was here. I was very scared. They asked how old I was, and I said 14. They
said I had to go with them. They  kept the rope on my wrists.
	They took me to the Gllogoc police station. There they tortured us. They
hit us all over with metal bars, on the back. They hit us with chairs, and
on my back with a baseball bat. All day they hit us. Many police  came to
torture us. They used electric shock too. Eight or nine police tortured us
all night. We stayed at the police station for three days or five days. Then
we went to Lipjan and on June 10th to Pozharevac Prison in Serbia. I still
had no shoes to wear and my legs were very cold.
	The trip from Lipjan by bus was terrible. I can't forget it no matter how
hard I try. We were handcuffed and put on the bus at 7 a.m., with no food
and water. We were on that bus til 11 p.m., all without food and water, and
it was very hot. All the time, they tortured us. I was very tired and I
didn't want to go to Serbia. They made us sing Chetnik songs and told us
from that day we were not Albanians any more. Sing in Serb, they told us.
	When we got to Pozharevac, it was late at night. The guards tortured us
when we got there. They beat us in a long corridor of guards with clubs.
They beat the children and old men just like everyone else. I was put in a
cell with many men. Finally a friend there gave me some shoes to wear.
	I never had a lawyer, not once. I don't know why I was in prison. The ICRC
came twice. I was very scared the whole time and there wasn't enough to eat,
I lost one half my weight. Even now, after I have been home two months, I am
still scared. My  wrists are scarred from the handcuffs, but my back is
healed. One boy is still there and I am afraid he will die. I worry about it
all the time. We could never wash. There was no heat and hardly any food. My
neighbor died from the torture.
	One day the guards came in November. They called me and some other minors
and sent us into isolation cells. Four of us in each one. We thought now we
would die. On November 18, they searched us and said we were terrorists,
KLA, they insulted us. They brought us clothes and said put them on. Then on
the 19th, they took us to a bus. We didn't know where we were going, but we
thought maybe to be executed. There were 21 of us on the bus. They drove us
to the border. We got off and they insulted us some more and then said
"walk."
	We started walking across the border and finally ICRC came and the KFOR
searched us. That's how we found out we were released. It was on November
19, 1999. ICRC brought me home. Now I'm back in school in the eighth grade.

SABRI MUSLIU
Shtrumbullova Village, Gllogoc
Arrested age 14 yrs. On May 28, 1999 at home

	That day the police came to the village, 320 men were arrested from our
village. Many were from other villages staying here because their homes were
destroyed. I have four other brothers. My father was trying to  hide all of
us in different places so the soldiers wouldn't see us all at once. At five
a.m., the police surrounded the village. We heard their voices outside. I
was with my father in the house.
	They took us outside. They tortured my father there, 3 or 4 of them. They
took our money and my mother's jewelry and made her stand against the wall
and put her hands on the wall and stay there. I wanted to put my shoes on
but they wouldn't let me.
	The police took me and my father to the Gllogoc police station. That's
where we were tortured the most. They hit us with metal bars and a baseball
bat mostly on the back and arms. You can see the big bruises on my arm where
they hit me seven months ago. These big bruises, the doctor here said they
are thrombosis. The bruises are where they hit me with the metal bars. They
hit me on the back of the head too with a Kalishnikov rifle with my father
watching. I sat down on the floor because I was so tired and they hit me for
that. I have problems from that now. The doctor here said it is head trauma.
I have bad headaches all the time. And I have a tremor in my hands. I smoke
a lot, too.
	The second day, the police gave us the paraffin test to see if we had been
touching gunpowder. Then after a few days, they let my father go and took me
to Lipjan prison in handcuffs. The handcuffs left these scars on my wrists.
At Lipjan everyone was tortured. We had only a very small piece of bread to
eat and no way to ever sleep. We were always very hungry.

SABRI'S FATHER

	I was arrested on May 28, 1999, together with Sabri, and I spent three days
in the Gllogoc Police Station with the others. After three days in Gllogoc,
we were taken to Lipjan.
	The police first tortured me here in the yard in front of my home. But then
at the police station, it was terrible. They hit us with metal bars. They
beat my fourteen year old son in front of me because he sat down. I saw this
. I don't know why they released me and took my boy.

BEDRI YMERI (uncle of Plerrat Isufi from Sankoc Village)
Shtrumbullova
Arrested May 28, 1999

	I was also brought to the Gllogoc Police station for three days. There I
was tortured a lot. There was one policeman who tortured us the most. And
there was one high-level policeman from Prishtina there.
	They  put all the Albanian men in the big room with many doors. They said
we had to play a game. The Albanians had to stand in the doorways and stop
the ball. The police stood in the middle with four balls which they kicked
at us very hard, so hard that there was almost no chance to stop them. If
you dropped the ball, you would be tortured more.
	They called me for that game, but I am not young. I said I was too old. But
they said I must play. Four police kicked the balls at me, and somehow I
stopped them all, and I wasn't tortured any more.
	They released me after three days. But they took my 16 year old nephew
Plerrat and he is still now in Pozharevac. He was not released with the
other boys. No one knows why not.
	Our family had a letter from him in January around New Years. He said for
us to please send food, because they don't have enough. He said he couldn't
say more than that. Plerrat has never had a lawyer. He's been there since
June 10th, 1999.
	Plerrat's house had been burned, so he was staying in Prishtina with
another uncle. That's where he was arrested in the street outside his
uncle's house. The police did a paraffin test in the road and said he was a
terrorist. He is tall for his age, but weak and thin. According to Shemsi,
Plerrat doesn't know why he is in prison. He keeps telling people there that
he is a high school student. The time the ICRC came to Pozhrevac, he asked
them, "Why am I here?" They said they didn't know.

RREHMAN OLLURA
Detained in Pozharevac
Released December 12, 1999

	I was taken to Pozharevac on June 10th from Lipjan by bus. We were tortured
a lot on that bus ride. We had no food or water. At some point I was
unconscious. We were beaten by clubs. I was put in one room with 40 men. The
room was 7 meters by 5 meters. We were always hungry. We didn't have
blankets and it was cold.
	My family tried to find me for one month in July, 1999. They hired a lawyer
from Nis named Obrat Mishic. He visited me six times for five minutes each
time while the guards stood close by us. I had confessed to nothing no
matter how much I was tortured. I think that helped in my release. I didn't
want the lawyer to help me with a trial because I was not guilty of
anything. So why would I need a lawyer?
	Plerrat Isufi, the boy, was in my  room at Pozharevac. He was kept with the
men. All the minors were. They tortured them the same as us. One of the
worst things was that we could always hear the screams of the men being
tortured. No one can forget hearing that. That and the bus ride to Serbia
were the two worst things.

FAMILY OF MUHAMET MIFTARI
Shtrumbullova
Died in Pozharevac. Body arrived on January 23, 2000

FIKRIE MIFTARI (his daughter, age 26)
Shtrumbullova, Gllogoc

	My father was a quiet man, who wanted his seven children, five girls and
two boys, to be educated.  He respected that.
	When the war came, we wanted to leave Kosova and go to Macedonia, but he
refused, so we all stayed to be with him. My younger brother, Bujar, age 18,
was in KLA and he was killed.
	My father was arrested in our home by the police on May 28. 20 special
police came inside our house and destroyed everything. There were
paramilitary too, with no hair only berets. They stayed here from 9 to 10
a.m. We gave them money and jewelry. There were refugees staying here from
other villages that had been destroyed with us.
	They took my father to Gllogoc police station, and then to Lipjan and then
to Pozharevac. We were worried about him because every day he had to take
medicine for his ulcer. So we hired a lawyer, Hyseni Bitucci, to go see how
he was.
	In the meantime, we went to every protest in Prishtina and signed the
petition to ask for release of prisoners in September, but nothing happened.
The lawyer visited him in prison and told us that our father was not well.
He was cold and weak. We sent a package but he did not receive it. We tried
again. But by the time that package arrived, he was dead. No one helped us,
no UN people and no Albanian politicians. Why does Kouchner and UNMIK do
nothing? If you want all the prisoners returned in a coffin like my father,
then continue to do nothing. If you can't help us, leave us.

HER UNCLE:

	All the men here today are in mourning for my brother who we buried a few
days ago. The ICRC brought us his body from Pozharevac on January 23. We
asked for an autopsy to see how he died. I don't have the documents for that
yet. The other prisoners say he died from torture. He died in the prison
hospital on January 17th, but we were not called for almost one week. When
we asked agencies and UNMIK for help, they said they couldn't help us. Why
are they here, then?
      In this tiny village just outside of the town of Gllogoc, each family
has a story to tell. When Mohammed Miftari was returned home dead, the whole
village went into mourning, seven months after the war ended. Until the
prisoners are returned home, the villagers in hundreds of villages across
Kosova live in a state of chronic anxiety over their missing loved ones, who
they know full well are being treated in an appalling manor with no real
hope of justice. Hundreds of families have resorted to raising approximately
$10,000 in bribe money to have their relative's case "expedited" and to
obtain his release.
     In the words of John Menzies, Special US Advisor on Kosovo for the US
State Department, speaking on the complexity of the prisoner issue.
	The continued detention of Albanians in Serbia remains a tragic and vexing
issue for the international community’s.  We have repeatedly raised the
matter diplomatically with UNMIK, the ICRC, the International Commission on
Missing Persons, and bilaterally with the NATO states. We have publicly
registered our concern in these cases over the apparent lack of due process,
condemning Serbia's actions as an example of their disregard for
international norms of behavior. (Statement at the CSCE Hearing in
Washington, DC, on February 28, 2000, chaired by Christopher Smith.)
     Menzies goes on to explain the difficulty the US has in pressuring
Serbia at this time due to lack of diplomatic relations. However, Menzies
adds, "the truth is that European nations are in a better position  than the
US to take the lead on this issue. Some of our European allies, like Italy,
have representation in Belgrade and can pressure the Milosevic regime.
Canada and Japan also have representation in Belgrade. It may also be
possible to encourage Russian participation."
     With regard to the plight of the prisoners, The US government has been
both receptive to the input from small human rights groups and NGO's and
directly demonstrated their sense of responsibility with a non-binding
resolution passed by the U.S. House of July 14, 1999, demanding for the
unconditional release of the Albanian prisoners in Serbia. They are now
ratifying a second resolution in both House and Senate. They have
contributed $350,000 to UNHCHR in Belgrade to aid in the monitoring of the
trials.
      In Europe, getting out-spoken support on this issue has been hard.
Basically there has been one sponsor for the Parliament's two resolutions,
EP member Bart Staes of the Human Rights Committee. And the truth is that
there is nowhere near the level of international awareness and commitment to
action in enforcing human rights norms that is needed. The effort that the
Association of Political Prisoners has put into getting a plan of action
from the European Parliament and the United Nations, who are the guardians
of peace, security, and human rights has been an uphill battle to say the
least. No single leader nor country is willing to emerge as the leader of a
diplomatic effort. Neither is the ICRC.
     According to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, of which all countries in the
UN are co-signatories, prisoners detained following an armed conflict are to
be released. If there are additional circumstances that warrant their
continued detention, the prisoners should have either the ICRC or a neutral
country to serve as their advocate, to ensure that they can see their family
members, have unrestricted legal representation, have humane conditions, and
had a fair, public, impartial trial. No country has stepped forward to take
that role. But someone must. The Geneva Conventions are not optional. And if
democracies don't enforce them, who will? Not only that, but the Conventions
are minimum standards.
    Albanian politician Bardhyl Mahmuti, Vice President of the PDP, Thaci's
party, sees the West's failure to vigorously  pursue and prosecute war
criminals as closely linked to their inattention to the prisoner issue and
the anguish it has caused thousands of Albanian friends and family members.
He noted that although some NGO's have worked very hard on this, notably the
Humanitarian Law Center in Belgrade and the Association of Political
Prisoners in Prishtina, that they lack support in their efforts from
international organizations and European governments. "For this reason,
Serbia has become a safe haven for criminals, where they can walk the
streets freely," Mahmuti says.
     Mahumuti spent seven and a half years in Pozharevac penitentiary during
the 1980's as a political prisoner. He has visited the villages now
following the war. "People who have suffered collective trauma here cannot
heal overnight, especially if there is no hope for justice for what they
have suffered. There will be no normal life here until people can begin to
see that there will be justice."
     An appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, Torture Division
demonstrates the futility of finding a way to investigate the human rights
abuses these prisoners have undergone. Clearly severe torture is a standard
and wide-spread method in the Serbian justice system. But because neither
Serbia nor Kosovo are European Commission members, they do not fall within
the jurisdiction of the European Court. This means that prisoners in both
places cannot protest the torture they suffered. And an indicted war
criminal who is the leader of Serbia can do what he wants within his own
boundaries.
     Do not think that it is only Albanian prisoners who are suffering in
these prisons. In the past two weeks, over ninety Serbian Resistance
movement activists have been beaten and imprisoned. These prisoners'
relatives and friends have appealed to the Association of Political
Prisoners for help in making the outside world aware of this problem.
International officials must be made to realize that the Serbian justice
system is a major tool in the on-going destabilization and lawlessness of
both Serbia and Kosova.
     If the European Court is out of the picture, that leaves the only
possible intervention by a petition to the International War Crimes Tribunal
for Yugoslavia in The Hague. The Association has asked for an investigation
into the prisoner issue as a violation of Geneva Conventions 3 and 4. We
have yet to have a response.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

	1.Email the UN Security Council and demand they appoint a special
envoy/neutral country to investigate the prisoner problem and come up with a
solution.
	2.Institute an investigation under a sub-committee of the War Crimes
Tribunal for Yugoslavia to investigate torture and violations of human
rights during the NATO bombing campaign.
	3.Insist that the Security Council request from the Justice Ministry in
Belgrade "the broadest possible amnesty," as described in the Geneva
Conventions.
	4. Appoint a neutral country to  have access to the Serb prison sites, as
the UN was allowed to inspect weapons sites. If this can be done for nuclear
weapons, it can surely be done for human beings.
	5. Provide impartial lawyers for fair, public trials, food for prisoners,
blankets and beds, appropriate medical care and secure transport for
families to visit loved ones should they be in prison.
	6. Appoint human rights observer teams in each prison to report cases of
torture and abuse.
	7. Punish all judges who fail to enforce and carry out both the
constitutional requirements of the State of Yugoslavia and international
law.

==========================================

HUMANITARIAN LAW CENTER COMMUNIQUE
Thirteen Kosovo Albanians released

February 29, 2000

	Judge Nikola Vazura of the Pozarevac District Court, formerly president of
the District Court in Prizren, today ordered the release of 13 Kosovo
Albanians who were held in custody for 17 months on charges of seditious
conspiracy and terrorism.
	The Court acquitted Hamid Buzhola and Emri Loshi because of lack of
evidence.  Defendants Sahit Zyba, Mohamet Sopa, Sulejman Zyba, Urim Zyba,
Rifat Sopa, Halit Elshani, Nezir Elshani, Hajrulah Elshani, Bajram Sopaj,
Jemin Bajraktari, and Agron Zakoli were found guilty of seditious conspiracy
and terrorism and all received sentences of one year and five months in
prison.  They were ordered released because of jail credit.
	The 13 Kosovo Albanians, who were arrested by Serbian police in late
September 1998, are to be discharged today and taken over by the
International Committee of the Red Cross whose representatives will escort
them to their homes in Kosovo.

==========================================

ALICE MEAD
Letter to Vice President Albert Gore

February 23, 2000

	Request for Investigation of the Albanian Prisoners in Serbia Request for
"Broadest Possible Amnesty"
	At the end of the NATO/Serb conflict, a military technical agreement was
signed by Serbia and NATO commanders on June 10, 1999. A second agreement on
the status of Kosovo, Resolution 1244, was signed by the UN Security
Council. These agreements ended an international conflict over the fate of
the province of Kosovo. But, in the agreements, there was no explicit
reference to how exactly several thousand Albanian prisoners arrested during
the war were to be released as KFOR entered Kosovo.
    Instead, on June 18, 1999, the Serb Minister of Justice announced that
he had moved several thousand Albanians from prisons in Kosovo to prisons in
Serbia "for their own protection." From orders at the  highest levels of the
Serb justice system, then, approximately 2,000 Kosovar Albanians were
ordered into "forcible disappearance" in direct violation of the Geneva
Conventions Articles 3 and 4, which state that at the cessation of
international armed conflict, all prisoners shall be immediately released.
The Serb Ministry stated that this was not an international conflict. But
that is incorrect.
    Now in February, 2000, eight months after the Kumanovo Agreement, the
vast majority of these Albanian prisoners are still languishing in Serb
prisons with no hope for either local or international justice or amnesty as
the Geneva Conventions state. The prisoners' rapid transfer and the lack of
subsequent information regarding their condition, their charges, and even
their whereabouts for the past eight months constitute what Amnesty
International calls in its report on the subject, Broken Circle (October,
1999) "forced disappearances."
     The appalling conditions of their detention are a further violation of
the Geneva Conventions as well. These prisoners have suffered wide-scale
torture, murder at the Dubrava prison massacre, cruel treatment,
degradation, lack of medical care, and their families have been routinely
denied access or even information about their charges and site of detention.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has been continually hampered
in its effort to see prisoners, and the ICRC has not even visited Sremska
Mitrovica prison, where conditions are reported to be the worst, since
August, 1999.
     Although the Serb Ministry explains this removal as being for the
prisoners' own safety, interviews with released prisoners state that the
twelve hour bus rides from Kosovo to Serbia on June 10, 1999 were absolutely
terrifying, a psychological and physical nightmare. The detainees were not
given any food or water and were tortured constantly on the long rides. When
they crossed into Serbia, they were told that they were no longer Albanians,
but Serbs. When they arrived at the various prison sites, they were
subjected to a long corridor of guards and prisoners beating them with clubs
as they entered. This was hardly conducive to their "safety." For weeks,
their families were not notified of their whereabouts.
    The vast majority arrived without court documents, evidence, or charges.
Most were arrested on 30-day police warrants, which have expired over six
months ago and were rounded up during the conflict.
     Amnesty International published its investigative report on the
disappearances  in October, 1999. They give a detailed account of the
methods of this program of forced disappearances and recommend that the
International War Crimes Tribunal for Yugoslavia assist in the investigation
into this mass "disappearance," publish a complete list of all those in
prison, investigate the circumstances of these abductions (many were taken
off refugee columns especially in the Gjakova region), and bring responsible
parties to justice.
    So far, four months after this report, no international organization has
taken action on these very basic recommendations. Amnesty International
states that the detention of the prisoners is a violation of the Geneva
Conventions of 1949, of which both the US and Yugoslavia are signatories, as
are the European countries. Amnesty recommends that the UN, International
War Crimes for Yugoslavia, and the International Red Cross work together to
investigate these disappearances and to bring those involved in perpetrating
them to justice. The Association of Political Prisoners strongly supports
this recommendation.
    Another NGO, the International Crisis Group of Brussels and Washington,
DC, also published an investigative report on January 26, 2000 on the
prisoner problem. That report pointed out that the prisoner situation was a
clear violation of Geneva Conventions 3 and 4, which guarantee the release
of all detainees following the cessation of armed conflict.
    According to ICG, "Thousands of Albanian lives are at stake...reports
from recently released prisoners make clear that the prisoners conditions
are appalling...they are routinely subjected to torture, and their trials
are travesties. (Albanians in Serb Prisons, page i.) They also state that,
"Because the  war in Kosova between NATO and  the FRY was clearly an
international armed conflict, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 apply. These
state that prisoners must be released without delay following the cessation
of hostilities."

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
	** The usual first step in such situations, according to the Geneva
Conventions is for a request for the "broadest possible amnesty." This is
usually done by the ICRC or a neutral country. No country or international
organization has done this eight months after the end of the war. We, the
Association of Political Prisoners, make this our first demand: That
international leaders in the UN Security Council, the ICTY, the Red Cross,
the European Parliament, UNHCHR, and OSCE cooperate and make a request for
this amnesty together. The US ambassador, Richard Holbrooke, can play a key
role in facilitating this important first step.
	** The UN and the ICTY need to appoint a team of investigators to find out
what exactly has happened to these 2,000 citizens during their detention and
report all cases of human rights abuses. Preliminary interviews with
released prisoners indicate that human rights violations and maltreatment
are widespread.
	**The judges, wardens, police, and Serb Ministry of Justice need to be held
accountable for the actions they have taken in this mass case of
disappearances. We are petitioning for an investigation into this situation
by the ICTY.
	**ICRC, UNMIK political administration and police need to develop a
concrete plan for the safe return of these detainees to Kosova. Jock Covey
is the US-UNMIK administrator best suited to coordinating this task
successfully.
	While the Association of Political Prisoners recognizes the limited contact
the US has with the regime in Belgrade, nevertheless the US can take a
strong leadership role in resolving this agonizing problem for thousands of
Kosovar families and their imprisoned loved ones.

Thank you for your attention to this grave matter.

Sincerely,

Alice Mead
Association of Political Prisoners

==========================================

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Serb opposition leader faces trial on March 7

February 29, 2000

BELGRADE, Feb 29 (AFP) - Serb opposition leader Dusan Mihajlovic goes on
trial on March 7 on charges he spread false information about the regime of
President Slobodan Milosevic, the daily Blic reported Tuesday.
     There was no immediate official confirmation of the court date, but the
Yugoslav state agency Tanjug reported last week that a Belgrade district
prosecutor had proposed indicting Mihajlovic of the New Democracy Party for
"spreading false information and disturbing
citizens."
     Speaking on a talk show February 22, Mihajlovic fiercely criticized
Milosevic and described his government as "terror" and the "first stage of
dictatorship."
     The charges carry a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
     Mihajlovic said Friday he had "not committed any criminal act, only
expressed my political stance and that of my party," while his allies
branded the possible charges as "political prosecution."
     The move was the latest bid by the Milosevic regime to crack down on
opponents who have recently joined ranks against the Yugoslav president.
     "I am not afraid of (going to jail), a prison is for people,"
Mihajlovic told reporters, adding that he would go to court if summoned.

Story from AFP   Copyright 2000 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet)
http://www.clari.net/hot/wed/di/Qyugo-opposition.RZ2T_AFT.html

==========================================

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Congressional commission espouses plight of ethnic Albanians, Serbs

February 28, 2000
By David Briscoe

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Members of a U.S. government human rights commission
urged President Clinton on Monday to put more pressure on Yugoslavia to
release ethnic Albanians still held prisoner in Serbia while not tolerating
retaliation against Serbs in Kosovo.
     But an administration official said Europeans could do more to achieve
prisoner releases than the U.S. government.
     Reflecting growing frustration with NATO's inability to resolve the
Balkans crisis, the U.S. Helsinki Commission, at a hearing on Capitol Hill,
faced a variety of pleas of justice for Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, Serbs and
Gypsies, also known as Roma.
     John K. Menzies, deputy special adviser to the president and the
secretary of state for Kosovo, told the commission that peace is gradually
taking hold in the U.N.-protected Serb province, but he said resolution of
the problem of displaced and imprisoned Kosovars is needed
for violence to end.
     "We are beginning to see results," Menzies told the commission, citing
progress in power generation, banking, mining and housing construction.
     But he added: "The continued detention of Albanians in Serbia remains a
tragic and acutely vexing issue."
     He said the lack of diplomatic relations with Belgrade makes it
difficult for the United States to directly pressure Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic.
     "The truth is that European nations are in a better position than the
U.S. to take the lead on this," Menzies said, noting that Italy, Canada and
Japan all have representatives in Belgrade. He said the Finnish and private
non-government groups have conducted some negotiations for prisoners'
release.
     Menzies cited estimates of up to 5,000 ethnic Albanians held in
Belgrade-controlled prisons. Most of the few hundred who have been released,
he said, have had relatives buy their freedom with ransoms paid to corrupt
officials.
     The Helsinki Commission, made up of senators, House members and
representatives of the Clinton administration, issued no declaration at its
hearing. But individual members urged Clinton to take a stronger interest.
     "The people who languish in Serbian prisons are not the cause of ethnic
tensions; the war criminals who took them as they fled Kosovo are," said
Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.  Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., agreed that the United
States should press for the prisoners' release but also said he did not vote
for the NATO bombing so the ethnic Albanians, who had been driven out of
their homes, could "do the same thing to the Serb population."
     Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.M., chairman of the hearing, said ethnic
Albanians, Serbs and Roma all are suffering.
     "Many Kosovar Albanians languish in Serbian prisons, seemingly for no
reason other than the Milosevic regime's well documented desire to inflict
pain on as many innocent people as possible," Smith said.
     Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., committee co-chairman, said in a
statement that continued deployment of Western forces in Kosovo does little
to stop human rights violations.
     "People need to get out of the refugee camps and prisons and get back
to their homes as soon as possible," Campbell said.

http://news.excite.com/news/ap/000228/18/int-us-kosovo or
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?a0719_AM_US
-Kosovo&&news&newsflash-washington

==========================================

KOSOVAPRESS
Taken from the daily newspaper "Kosova sot"

February 29, 2000

"Those are terrible …"
-testimony of Enver Hashani -who was released recently from the prison of
Nishi

Prishtinë, February 29 (Kosovapress) - Familja Hashani from the Obiliq town
was very happy.On February 14, Enver Hashani was released from the prison of
Nish, who was previously sentenced to six years in prison. "I have paid
20.000 DM for my release", begins the story Enver, while his father said
that "now, our father has born for the second time. ".
	Enver has been arrested on May 31, 1998, at his work place in "Gazifikim".
During the arrest and during investigation period he was very bed tortured.
Released prisoner report that torture for children and adult is conducted at
the same level of violence. The prisoners were poorly clothed, many had no
shoes on and were wearing tee shirts. He claims that they were kept in
unheated cells, most slept on the floor with no blanket.
	Requets to see any doctor were met with beatings. Requests to see a doctor
are met with beatings. Discharged prisoners suffering from contusions,
broken bones head injures, and psychological problem are not being
comprehensively treated. Enver says that now, he is not in able to sleep
because he fear the people he left behind will die. " I can not forget the
moment they treated me by electro-shock, I also remember the time when they
put my head into the water, so that I could not breathe."-pointed he.
	" On 28 July,1998 they sent me to the hospital of Prishtina. I was tortured
for several continually so I could not handle anymore. I have stayed at the
hospital till September 5, 1998. And on September 23, he was sentenced to
six years to prison ",-said Enver.
	"On February 20, 1999 together with 16 friends he was deported to the
prison of Mitrovica e Sremit, so we were treated there in- humanly: "I met
there the group of Avni Klinaku, the group of Nait Hasani, the professor
Ukshin Hoti and the group of the former police. We were held 45 people in
one room."
	"When NATO bombardments started, on March 24, they placed us in the
prison's basements. On April 26, they transferred us from the prison of
Mitrovica e Sremit to the prison of Nish. We were still on the bus when the
Serb" guards" and civilians invited especially for beating us started to
torture us. They beat us by metal and wood steaks. They broke the leg of a
friend of mine. Another friend of mine was seriously hurt in her eyes ",
shows Enver.
	"On April 29, they loaded us on buses and brought us to Dubrava prison.
	On the way to Dubrava they maltreated us very much. I was lucky not to be
in the second bus because in the second bus the Serb criminals have cut the
ears, the fingers, the nose etc. I saw them later. They were exhausted.
	"On May 19, was the first NATO bombardment. It happened in the pavilion
six, and in that case were killed three Albanians and 7-8 eight others were
wounded. During that day, according to some of my friends who counted them,
were heard about 40 NATO detonations. On the other day were killed 18, and
were wounded a high number. On May 23, The Serb Militaries and police have
executed 130 persons. They threw hand grenades and shot all the time. They
gathered us in the sport's hall.
	They threatened to me for execution. They ordered also to one of my friend
Sali Zariqi, whose son, 19-20 years old was beside me, to get in the line of
those who will be executed but, both of us survived.
	"On May 24, they loaded us on the tracks and buses and send us to the
prison of Dubrava. For 17days we were badly tortured."- Enver claims.
	We gave sequences of the testimony of Enver Hashani, related to the time he
was in prison.

http://www.kosovapress.com/english/shkurt/29_2_2000.htm

==========================================

KOSOVAPRESS
A prisoner it is released from prison of Nishi

February 29, 2000

Prishtinë, February 29 (Kosovapress) - Last weak, just couple of days ago a
prisoner Enver Hashani was released from prison of Nishi. He was sentenced
on six year prison, but after paying a sum of money he get released. He was
arrested on May 31, 1998 during his being at work. One period he was at the
prison in Prishtina, later on, he was evacuated to some other prisons and
during his way to Gjilan, he was stopped near a river where he does not know
exactly the place but he was so much maltreated to the death. After, along
time he stayed in hospital for treatment. But again he was taken to the
prison in Mitrovica for a while, and then again at the prison in Dubrava.
During the NATO bombarding they have been purchased to many tortures, where
he said is very difficult to describe all these moments, the only person can
imagine who has been himself at the serb prisons. Later he was evacuated
with some other prisoners at the Nishi prison in Serbia.

==========================================

KOSOVAPRESS
The process of prisoners will be debated in OSCE

March 01, 2000

Prishtinë, March 1 (Kosovapress) - Today met the Interim Administrative
Council for Kosova. After the conference, the civil administrator of OSCE
Bernard Kouchner stressed that the major security in Kosova especially in
Mitrovica we are trying to calm down, then the state of hostage people who
are at the serbs prison and the restart of the work of Kosova Telecom were
the main point on the today meeting. There were debates about disagreement
about political parties, but this is an normal matter for the beginning as a
democratic process said Dr. Kouchner.
	About the Albanian hostages he said that next week he will report it to the
Council Security of United Nations, and for that I am waiting the list of
these arrested persons. Mehmet Hajrizi, member of this council, he added
about the situation at the three municipalities of East Kosova: Preshevë,
Bujanoc and Medvegjë. This is just an effort by serb regime for
destabilization the Albanian areas and some parts of Kosova said Mr. Mehmet
Hajrizi. He also sad that has been discussed about the telecom function of
GSM net. And talking about the final project of Mitrovica solution we must
undertake very hasten steps to bring peace and security in this region.

http://www.kosovapress.com/english/mars/1_3_2000_2.htm

==========================================

KOSOVAPRESS
Protests for the release of Albanian hostages

March 03, 2000

Gjakovë, March 3, ( Kosovapress) - The family members of hostages and those
who are missing, together with thousands of protestors have taken part in
today's large protest for the release of the Albanian prisoners who are
still kept in the Serb jails. The held transparences in their hands in which
was written " Release the prisoners", " Find the missing people". The
protestors appealed to the International Community and to the UN Security
Council Meeting on 6 March, to make pressure to The Serb regime in Belgrade
for the release of the Albanians who are kept under the permanent torture in
the Serb jails.
	There is no freedom here In Kosova, without the release of thousands of
Albanians who are kept in jails throughout Serbia only because they are
Albanians.

http://www.kosovapress.com/english/mars/3_3_2000_3.htm

==========================================

KOSOVAPRESS
>From the Serb jails today were released 23 Albanians

March 03, 2000

Prishtinë, March 3 (Kosovapress) - According to the UN High Commission of
Human Rights in Kosova, today from Pozharefci prison were released another
23 Albanians, mainly from the district of Rahoveci.
	According to the their report, those Albanian recent released prisoners
will arrive home tonight or early tomorrow. The International Red Cross
Committee will take care to bring them safe from Serbia to Kosova.

http://www.kosovapress.com/english/mars/3_3_2000_2.htm

==========================================

KOSOVAPRESS
Hunger strike of the Albanian prisoners who are being kept in Prishtina's
prison

March 03, 2000

Prishtinë, March 3 (Kosovapress) - The prisoners that are being kept in the
prison of Prishtina, because of the very bad conditions, today started a
hunger strike. The prisoners demanded to meet the prisons KFOR authorities,
but they refused that.
	The hunger strike will continue for two days. The prisoners have strongly
appealed to the prisons authorities to make their release immediately. This
request have been presented to them by the prisoner's lowers Ramadan Veliqi,
Tom Gashi, Haxhi Millaku and Aziz Rexha. Most of the prisoners were former
KLA members, and they are being held in prison for no reason at all.
According to the lower Tom Gashi, in the prison are being held 78 Albanians.
==========================================

WOLFGANG PLARRE
Letter to US Security Council

March 04, 2000

Dear Lady, Dear Sir,

	Allow me with all due respect, to draw your attention to the unjust
situation of the 1600 Albanian prisoners not released on June, the 10th 1999
who are still being meld in Serbian captivity.
     As one of the countries which ratified the Geneva Conventions in 1949
you will be familiar with the statutes which stipulate international minimal
standards concerning arrest, detention, use of torture and right to fair
trials, the idea being to avoid the violation of the human rights of
prisoners in such a situation as the one concerning this appeal. Equally I
am sure, you must be aware of your co-responsibility for the welfare of
these prisoners and the fear that their continued imprisonment represents a
serious violation of the above agreement.
     Thus, I am appealing to you to intervene in the interest of these 1,600
known prisoners and indeed in the interest of all the thousands of missing
Albanians who have "disappeared" and respectfully demand the appointment of
a Special Envoy, both from the UN and International War Crimes Tribunal
whose responsibility it will be to obtaining an extensive amnesty from the
Serb. Minister of Justice corresponding to the statues of the Geneva
Conventions.
      In the interest of the maintenance of Human Rights of them and every
individual we beg you to bring your influence to bare on this matter thus
hopefully bringing this tragic situation to a positive end.
(the text above wrote an Austrian woman.)
	And I beg you too for the release of the non-Albanian humans missing in
Kosov at .
	Not "power" and "might" can solve the problems in Balkans, especially
Kosov@ - by my opinion the needs of the humans - Human Rights - are to be
respected.
	I attach two old texts of bible you can find on my startpage since a long
time.

Sincerely,

Wolfgang Plarre
http://www.bndlg.de/~wplarre

==========================================

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Number of victims buried in Kosovo still unknown - Robinson

March 03, 2000

GENEVA, March 3 (AFP) - UN Human Rights commissioner Mary Robinson has
appealed for no let up in the search to find people who disappeared during
the Kosovo crisis last year.
     In a report dated September 1999 but released here Friday she said "it
is still unknown how many persons are buried throughout Kosovo, where such
graves might be, and who is buried in them."
     The report will be presented to a session of the UN Commission on Human
Rights beginning here March 20 along with another by special rapporteur Jiri
Dienstbier on the human rights situation in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia and
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
     Robinson also called on the International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia, International Committee of the Red Cross, and the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe to maintain efforts to
investigate the fate and whereabouts of missing persons.
     She also described the situation for Serbs, Romanies and other minority
communities since the withdrawal of Serb forces from Kosovo as a painful
one.
     "Killings, oppression, harassment, intimidation, expulsion, rape and
other violations continue to take place at an alarming rate, particularly
targeting the non-Albanian communities of Kosovo," the report said.
     "It cannot be accepted that a campaign to vindicate the rights of the
Kosovar Albanians would be followed by a campaign of atrocities against the
Serb, Roma and other minority communities," she said in the report.
     And she invited the Commission on Human Rights to consider how the
international community can "discharge its duty of protecting endangered
communities in a situation that is unfolding in full view of the
international community".

Story from AFP   Copyright 2000 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet)
http://www.clari.net/hot/wed/ai/Qbalkans-rights.Rs3a_AM3.html

==========================================

HUMANITARIAN LAW CENTER COMMUNIQUE
Presevo Mayor On Political Trial

March 02, 2000

	The Humanitarian Law Center considers that the criminal proceedings against
Riza Halimi before the Municipal Court in Preševo are political in nature.
Halimi is charged with preventing police officers in the performance of
their duty during the demonstrations staged by Preševo
high school students on 5 March 1998.
	Because he was present at the demonstrations, police immediately charged
him with a misdemeanor, alleging that he had organized the protest without
notifying the appropriate authorities as required.  Halimi was never
summoned before a magistrate and, under the Serbian Law on Misdemeanors, the
statute of limitations expires on 5 March this year.
Halimi and four town councilors filed a complaint against Preševo Police
Chief Dragan Miti? and several police officers, charging them with beating
and unlawfully arresting participants in the demonstrations. The municipal
public prosecutor took no action on the complaint and, instead, instituted
criminal proceedings against Mayor Halimi on 25 March 1998.
	When the court convened on 1 March this year, Judge Goran Despotovi? heard
the testimonies of four police officers who were among those who intervened
at the demonstrations.  The only point the officers agreed on was that they
were on the scene on 5 March 1998.  None was able to describe and name the
officer whom Mayor Halimi allegedly “grabbed by the elbow or the lapel of
his uniform,” nor could they identify their colleague who had brought Halimi
in to the police station.  One witness stated that Halimi was brought in by
a “young officer,” another said he was certain that one of his older
colleagues had done so, the third pointed to the fourth witness and said the
two of them had arrested Halimi, which the officer he pointed out denied.
	The court adjourned until 29 March when other police officers are scheduled
to be heard.

==========================================

KOSOVAPRESS
Thaçi’s Address to the Kosovar Residence

(...)

Prishtinë, March 4 (Kosovapress)
	Respected citizens, I am aware that every one is engaged with many
different problems of life, in all facilities like in politic, economy,
security which are connected with many social aspects and have to do with
the rebuilding of our state. You have right to seek for solution of problem
Mitrovica, unification this town. You want in Mitrovica to be safe and
secure like in other towns. We have struggled that Kosova to be one and
undeparted.
	The held of the prisoners is another concern for all Kosovars. Next week
this matter, it will be discussed in OSCE for their ability to cooperate
with International Community on their release. It can not have a freedom
while they are in prison and isolated. The intensified situation in Presheva
,Bujanoc and Medvegja needs very frequently and correct solution, by
respecting the human rights for the citizens who live in these areas. We
will try to prevent the Albanian expels from there. Our efforts have been
not enough to satisfy the needs of martyrs families, and to the invalids.
But this will be our obligation for their right, until we realize that.
(...)

http://www.kosovapress.com/english/mars/4_3_2000_1.htm

==========================================

HELSINKI COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN SERBIA
Student Forum: Confidence Building Measures between Serbs and Albanians

Appeal to the Ministry of Justice Republic of Serbia

February, 2000

We, the participants of the student forum, organized in Skopje on 15 and 16
January 2000 by the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia within its
project Confidence Building Measures between Serbs and Albanians", demand:

 1. Immediate and unconditional release of all Kosovo Albanians imprisoned
againts whom no charges were brought;
 2. Immediate suspension of all ongoing legal proceedings against Kosovo
Albanians;
 3. Revision of all the court proceedings launched against Kosovo Albanians
since March 24th 1989, until today.

 Zdravko Jankovic
 Fisnik Halimi
 Sandra Sljepcevic
 Heroina Telaku
 Vladimir Markovic
 Bashkim Fazliu
 Emilija Andrejevic
 Eliza Hoxha
 Vladimir Cvetkovic
 Artan Muhaxhiri
 Nenad Glisic
 Xhelal Ramadani

Individuals and organizations willing to support this initiative are invited
to join the appeal.  To be signed to the petition, email to:
demihai at EUnet.yu or biserkos at EUnet.yu

==========================================

OTPOR! (RESISTENCE!)
List of arrested and taken in activists

March 02, 2000

* 21st September 1999. Belgrade, Branko Ilic and Vukasin Petrovic taken in
during the action
* 29th October '99. Belgrade,  7 activists taken in + material taken
* 3 November '99 Belgrade,  Djordje Vucicevic taken in while providing
leaflets in Student house "Karaburma"
* 4th November '99 Belgrade,  5 activists attacked in front of the SPS
building + taken material
* 6th November '99 Belgrade, 5 activists taken in + material taken
* 9th November '99 Belgrade, round 50 activists wounded in the
intervention of police
* 19th November '99 Belgrade,  7 activists taken in + material taken
* 20 November '99 Belgrade, police stopped gluing billboards action and
took materials
* 21 November '99 Belgrade, 7 activists attacked by police in civil suits
on Zeleni Venac
* 10th January 00. Belgrade, 3 activists taken in + material taken 11th
January 00. Belgrade, action voting for "Resistance heroes" forbidden
* 14th February 00. Belgrade, Branko Ilic, Nikola Andric, Milos Milenkovic
taken in 16th February 00. Belgrade, 2 activists taken in + material taken
* 16th February 00. Belgrade, 1 activist beaten in front of Mc Donald's
* 19 February 00. Belgrade, police in civil suits or private security of
JUL beaten up Nenad Petrovic
* 24th November '99. Ivanjica, 14 activists taken in....
* 24th February 00. Ivanjica ,4 activists arrested, information talk 4th
February 00. Paracin, 1 activist taken in, inspection of the car, tribune
stopped
* 18th January 00. Krusevac, Srdjan Milivojevic, Misa Novakovic, Dejan
Petkovic, Dejan Gajic taken in
* 19th January 00. Krusevac, Misa Novakovic, Dejan Petkovic taken in
* 20th January 00. Krusevac, Srdjan Milivojevic, Misa Novakovic, Dejan
Petkovic, Dejan Gajic taken in.
* 4th November '99 legitimating of Vladimir Jesic and Stanko Lazendic during
the action .
* 27th January 00. Backo Petrovo Selo  three activists arrested.
* 27th January 00. Novi Sad information talk  Vladimir Pavlov and Stanko
Lazendic. with DB inspectors Markovic i Grujic.
* 12th February 00. Sremski Karlovci ,Nemanja Starovic taken in.
* 15th February 00. Subotica ,18 activists take in .
* 17th February 00. Subotica 15 activists ,information talk.
* 20th February 00. Backa Palanka ,Stanko Lazendic and Milan Djilas.
* 24th February 00. Zrenjanin 8 activists take in.
* 28th February 00. Becej Boris,Negeli trial.
* 20th September 99. A DINAR FOR DISMISSLE   Kragujevac, Predrag Stankovic,
Zoran Matovic,Jelena Urosevic,Predrag Madzarevic,Vojkan Pavlovic,Nikola
Kujovic,Darko Milenkovic,Nenad Bankovic,Darko Busarac,Branko Antic,Dejan
Markovic and Velibor Stefanovic take in, Zoran Matovic was beaten.
* 27th September 99. WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH A PRESIDENT Kragujevac,
action stoped by police.
* 21th October 99.PAYING RESPECT TO THE VICTIMS OF FASHISM Kragujevac
,police used force to stop action.
* 9th December 99. RESIST TO FASHISM Kragujevac , NN persons stoped action
by force.
* 23rd December 99. FOR EVERITHING YOU HAVE DONE TO US  Kragujevac, action
stopped by police,cammerman and photo-reporter were taken in.
* 2th Febryaru 00. RANSOM FOR THE TRUTH Kragujevac,police stopped action .
* 15.th February 00. ALL I HAVE I CARRY WITH ME Kragujevac,police and
ununiformed policemen tryed to stop the action,but eventually they did not
succeed.
* 4th February 00. Paracin ,Branko Antic were taken in.
* 16th&17th February Batocina,near Kragujevac,Vuckovic Vladan and Milojevic
Dejan were taken in.
* 13rd September 99. Nis, Aleksandar Visnjic was taken in for an informative
talk,because of problems with Dean of Medical Faculty.
* 18th September 99. Nis, A DINAR FOR DISMISSLE ,action was stopped by
police
Aleksandar Visnjic and Marko Dakovic were taken in.
* 19th Septembar 99. Nis , Aleksandar Visnjic was taken in for an
informative
talk
* 12th October 99. Nis , Aleksandar Visnjic was taken in for an informative
talk
* 14th October 99.Nis , TOUR DE OTPOR!  action took place while President
Milan Milutinovic was celebreting opening of a reconstructed bridge. One
policeman harmed phisically an OTPOR! activists. Lather, police was beating
students in front of Building of University. Five students were taken in.
* 11th February 00. police stopped ELECTRO-DISASTER OF SERBIA action. Three
activists were taken in:Tomislav Dragovic ,Milan Jovanovic and Aleksandar
Visnjic.
* 13th Avgust 99. Vranje ,two activists were taken in for an informative
talk.

==========================================

HUMANITARIAN LAW CENTER COMMUNIQUE
Presevo Mayor On Political Trial

March 02, 2000

	The Humanitarian Law Center considers that the criminal proceedings against
Riza Halimi before the Municipal Court in Preševo are political in nature.
Halimi is charged with preventing police officers in the performance of
their duty during the demonstrations staged by Preševo high school students
on 5 March 1998.
	Because he was present at the demonstrations, police immediately charged
him with a misdemeanor, alleging that he had organized the protest without
notifying the appropriate authorities as required.  Halimi was never
summoned before a magistrate and, under the Serbian Law on Misdemeanors, the
statute of limitations expires on 5 March this year.
	Halimi and four town councilors filed a complaint against Preševo Police
Chief Dragan Miti? and several police officers, charging them with beating
and unlawfully arresting participants in the demonstrations. The municipal
public prosecutor took no action on the complaint and, instead, instituted
criminal proceedings against Mayor Halimi on 25 March 1998.
	When the court convened on 1 March this year, Judge Goran Despotovi?
heard the testimonies of four police officers who were among those who
intervened at the demonstrations.  The only point the officers agreed on was
that they were on the scene on 5 March 1998.  None was able to describe and
name the officer whom Mayor Halimi allegedly “grabbed by the elbow or the
lapel of his uniform,” nor could they identify their colleague who had
brought Halimi in to the police station.  One witness stated that Halimi was
brought in by a “young officer,” another said he was certain that one of his
older colleagues had done so, the third pointed to the fourth witness and
said the two of them had arrested Halimi, which the officer he pointed out
denied.
	The court adjourned until 29 March when other police officers are scheduled
to be heard.

==========================================

REUTERS
Serb opposition party says police detained members

March 1, 2000

NOVI SAD, Yugoslavia (Reuters) -- Serbian police detained around 20 members
of an opposition party in the northern city of Novi Sad on Wednesday, a
party official said.
     Branislav Pomoriski, head of the Novi Sad board of the opposition
Vojvodina Social Democrats League (LSV), said the party members were
detained while distributing pamphlets outside the party's headquarters.
     He told Reuters that those detained included LSV Vice-President Bojan
Kostres and a local government deputy, Zoran Petakov.
     The incident took place shortly before Serbian Prime Minister Mirko
Marjanovic was due to inaugurate construction work on a new bridge to
replace one destroyed during NATO's bombing campaign against Yugoslavia last
year.
     Pomoriski said the LSV pamphlet called on people to turn up at the
ceremony in Novi Sad and protest against what the party described as the
country's "fake reconstruction."
     Police were not immediately available for comment.
     Local authorities in Novi Sad, controlled by the opposition, last month
marked the start of their own project to replace one of the town's three
Danube bridges destroyed by NATO bombs.

Copyright 2000 Reuters
http://robots.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/03/01/yugoslavia.opposition.reut/ind
ex.html

==========================================

Additional updates of the Kosovar political prisoners, including those
sentenced, missing and released, may be found at:
http://www.khao.org/appkosova/appkosova-database.htm
http://www.khao.org/appkosova/appkosova-report0037.htm
http://www.khao.org/appkosova/appkosova-report0038.htm
http://www.khao.org/appkosova/appkosova-report0041.htm

Very useful statistics and update from ICRC on missing persons from Kosovo
can be found at:
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/480fa8736b88bbc3c12564f6004c8ad5/60c532db
df49f6878525688f006f80d4?OpenDocument

Archives of the A-PAL Newsletters may be found at:
http://www.khao.org/appkosova.htm

Albanian Prisoner Advocacy List -- Prisoner Pals Newsletter, No. 013