[A-PAL] apal newsletter

[ALICE MEAD]

Albanian Prisoner Advocacy (A-PAL)
April 7, 2001

            A-PAL NEWSLETTER
WE NEED YOUR HELP TO BRING FREEDOM AND JUSTICE TO THE
REMAINING PRISONERS. THE GJAKOVA GROUP OF 143 WILL BE
APPEALED ON APRIL 23-26!!!!

As a result of the amnesty law enacted by the Serbian
Parliament, 220 Albanian prisoners out of over 600
were released from prison and allowed to go home.
Their stories of torture, lack of food, daily abuse,
and unfair trials are deeply disturbing. Their fears
for those they left behind are all-consuming.

After a delay of eleven months, the appeal of the
group trial of the 143 Gjakova prisoners is now
scheduled for April 23-26. Their appeal will take
place in the Serbian Supreme Court under the direction
of a newly appointed judge. So far, only Serbian human
rights groups have stepped forth to observe and defend
the rights of these Kosovar citizens. The silence from
international organizations is deafening. Who is
reviewing what is happening to these people left
behind? Who is measuring their experience against
international norms?

What are their rights and how will those rights be
defended?

According to UN Resolution 1244 and the Rambouillet
Accord from 1999:
1. all Kosovar citizens have a right to the judicial
institutions established in these agreements, in
accordance with international law.
2. The defendant is entitled to have his trial
transfered to a Kosova court that he designates. At
least one judicial member will be of the defendant's
nationality.
3. A general amnesty shall be granted to all persons
convicted of politically motivated crimes related to
the conflict in Kosova. Each side shall not prosecute
anyone for crimes related to the conflict, unless it
is a serious violation of international humanitarian
law.
4. All authorities shall ensure the internationally
recognized human rights and freedoms set forth in this
accord and international conventions. In addition,
national members have additional rights tp preserve
their national, cultural, andlinguistic identity.
5. All parties shall release and transfer inaccordance
with inernational standards those held in connection
with the conflict.
6. (From UN 1244, 6/10/99) Bearing in mind the Charter
of the UN, guided by the Geneva Convention of1949
andthe Protocols of 1977, guaranteeing meaningful
self-government in Kosova.

The case of the 143 Gjakova citizens was a gross
miscarriage of justice and should be dismissed. When
that happens, about 150 other Kosovar citizens charged
with terrorist acts will then be up for "review." Or
perhaps they will be put through an appeal process in
the Serbian Supreme Court. 
____________________________________

NARRATION OF TORTURED FEMALE PRISONER--released under
the Amnesty Law on March 16, 2001 from Pozharevac.

Zahrije Podrimcku, now age 30, was arrested on 8/6/98.
She was the Council of Defense of Human Rights
representative in Gllogovc. She was taken to the
police station there and held for three days, beaten
with clubs the whole time. She wasn't allowed to sleep
or sit for three days. They lay her across a table and
beat her all over her back and legs and in her genital
area, saying she would never be able to have children.
She was covered in blood from this. They asked her if
she was in KLA and said they would rape her if she
didn't confess. She begged to be killed rather than
raped, because her life would be over if they did
that. They forced her to sign a confession that she
never read. She was sentenced to four years.
During the NATO bombing she was taken to Lipjan
prison, where she was beaten repeatedly by the female
guards. She had almost no food, only one small piece
of bread. The women prisoners were beaten every day at
noon. The guards said that was their lunch. The guards
used clubs about 5 inches around. Her hands became
swollen. Her sides and back were all bruised. They
grabbed her hair and beat the back of ner neck and
kidneys. She was with one pregnant prisoner named
Igballe. They were taken to Pozharevac Prison with
four other women on JUNE 10, 1999.
She was put in isolation for one month, accused  of
being a KLA member, and she was beaten three times per
day while they told her to accept that she was in KLA.
She said she belonged to the Council for Defense of
Human Rights. Then one day, a guard took a heavy ring
of keys and began to beat the side of her head with
it.
She couldn't see right after that and had terrible
head pain. She asked for the doctor, even asked for
help from ICRC, but never saw a doctor until after the
Serb elections in October when she was taken to the
hospital. 
Now her eyes blur and she has memory problems.






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