[A-PAL] SPECIAL REPORT

[kosova at jps.net]

Welcome to Albanian Prisoner Advocacy List
S P E C I A L   R E P O R T

May 17, 2000

Association Of Political Prisoners
Kosova Action Network
Alice Mead

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A-PAL BULLETIN:
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CALL FOR JUSTICE

There is an URGENT Human Rights Crisis unfolding in both Serbia and Kosova.
The fact that Internationals gave Veton Surroi an award is not good enough.
Not when Otpor Resisters, Flora Brovina, Albin Kurti, the 145 Gjakova
Prisoners, Serb and Albanian lawyers and journalists, Roma children, and
hundreds of Albanian prisoners live in abuse and fear of their lives.

The International Government Organizations: OSCE, UN, NATO, EU, EP, and the
U.S.  MUST stand up against the Serb Ministry of Justice's abuses and INSIST
on the rule of law --  Equal for ALL.  Outside groups must focus on the
principle of human rights throughout the region; these principles must be
upheld with consequences for those who fail to do so. This urgent need was
made clear during the recent UN Security Council members on their trip to
Kosova.

Within Serbia this means the following actions must be implemented:
1. The Immediate Release of all Albanian Prisoners
2. The Arrest of Indicted War Criminals
3. Free Elections -- Not Civil War

Within Kosova this means the following actions:
1. The Adoption of the Tolerance Platform Endorsed by KTC, KFOR and Serb
Kosova leaders
2. To Install Judges and Trials
3. To Aid ICRC in locating 150 missing Serbs
4. To Aid ICRC in locating over 3,000 missing Albanians
5. To Begin War Crimes Trials


FAILURE TO DEMAND FOCUS ON THE PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE WILL RESULT IN FURTHER
UNNECESSARY VIOLENCE AND DESTRUCTION.


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RELATED ARTICLES:
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UNITED NATIONS
KTC Adopts a Major Political Statement on Tolerance

Press Release
May 10, 2000

The Kosovo Transitional Council today adopted the following statement:

	"The Kosovo Transitional Council demands of the authorities of the FRY the
unconditional handover to the UNMIK authorities of all Kosovo Albanians and
member of other Kosovo communities held in Serbian prisons and other
detention facilities.
	"The Kosovo Transitional Council demands that the Government of the FRY
grant immediate access for the International Committee of the Red Cross to
all detention facilities in Serbia where Kosovo Albanians and members of
other Kosovo communities are held.
	"The Kosovo Transitional Council demands that the Government of the FRY
make available to UNMIK all information related to Kosovo Albanians and
members of other Kosovo communities who went missing during the past
conflict.
	"The Kosovo Transitional Council requests that all Albanian and Serb
political leaders in Kosovo, along with KFOR, UNMIK, ICTY, ICRC, and all
people of good will in Kosovo and outside Kosovo, cooperate in establishing
the fate of persons of the Albanian, Serbian, Roma, Bosniac, Turkish,
Ashkali, and Egyptian communities who went missing or may have been
kidnapped before, during and after the conflict.
	"Individuals and organizations, in Kosovo and outside Kosovo, who can
provide information on the fate of missing or kidnapped persons of all
communities are urged to channel that information to the UNMIK authorities,
through any appropriate channel.
	"The Kosovo Transitional Council calls on the relevant United Nations
bodies to appoint a special envoy for detainees and missing persons at the
earliest date.
	"All Members of the Kosovo Transitional Council and, in particular, the
Serb Members of the Council, express their strongest condemnation of the
crimes, repression and discrimination suffered by the Kosovo Albanian
community and other communities in the past, and call for the perpetrators
of such crimes to be brought to justice.
	"All Members of the Kosovo Transitional Council and, in particular, the
Kosovo Albanian Members of the Council, express their strongest condemnation
of the crimes and violent acts against the Serb and other communities, which
occurred in post-conflict Kosovo, and call for the perpetrators of such
crimes to be brought to justice. They call on all individuals and
communities in Kosovo to refrain from the use of violence, and to solve all
disputes through peaceful means.
	"All Members of the Kosovo Transitional Council express their serious
concern for the present situation of the Serb community and minorities in
Kosovo, and for the limitations on the exercise of their fundamental rights,
and undertake to do their utmost for improving the situation, in cooperation
with UNMIK.
	"All Members of the Kosovo Transitional Council recognize the right of
immediate voluntary return of members of all communities.
	 "All Members of the Kosovo Transitional Council recognize the right of
members of all communities to participate freely in the institutions of
Kosovo, and in the institution building process."

	Only one member, Mr. Gjergj Dedaj, of the Liberal Party of Kosovo (PLK),
declined to endorse the statement.
	The KTC also received the regular security briefing from KFOR and UNMIK
Police.

http://www.un.org/peace/kosovo/press/templ.pr.238.html

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UN INTERIM ADMINISTRATION MISSION IN KOSOVO (UNMIK)
Commission for identifying missing persons endorsed

May 09, 2000

	The Interim Administrative Council (IAC) today endorsed the setting up of a
commission which will play a key role in identifying missing persons who
died during the recent conflict. The Victim Recovery and Identification
Commission (VRIC), which will be inaugurated on Thursday, will recover,
identify and dispose of the remains of bodies of war victims, in
coordination with the exhumation and investigation work by the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

http://www.un.org/peace/kosovo/news/update.htm

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KFOR
Commander Endorses KTC Commitments

May 11, 2000

	The Commander of KFOR, Lieutenant-General Juan Ortuno, strongly endorses
the commitments made by all members of the Kosovo Transitional Council
during yesterday's session. Both Serb and Albanian members denounced past
and present crimes and called for perpetrators to be brought to justice.
	All Serb members of the Council expressed their strongest condemnation of
the crimes, the repression and the discrimination suffered by the Albanians
and other communities in the past.
	For their part, all Albanian members strongly condemned crimes and violence
against Serb and other communities which have occurred in post-conflict
Kosovo. They further called on all citizens and communities to refrain from
violence, and to solve all disputes peacefully.
	"These enlightened commitments by the leaders of Kosovo's administration
are most vital for the rebuilding process," says the Commander. "I
wholeheartedly add my voice, and the influence of every KFOR peacekeeper, to
the call for an immediate end to the destructive cycle of revenge and
violence against fellow citizens.
	"As I said during my recent press conference, the focus of the world is on
Kosovo. The international community of nations is fully engaged in the
creation of a democratic future and all the citizens must work together to
foster co-existence and tolerance."

http://www.kforonline.com/news/updates/nu_11may00.htm

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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 Kosova
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

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