[A-PAL] a-pal newsletter 6/20/01

[Alice Mead]

A-PAL (ALBANIAN  PRISONER ADVOCACY)
JUNE 19, 2001


  Two year anniversary passes--119 ALBANIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS 
REMAIN-----PLUS 100 CRIMINAL CASES STILL DETAINED IN SERBIA

Once more, former released prisoners (now calling themselves released 
hostages and not prisoners) and family members in Kosova collected 
thousands of names on a petition to give to the UN Security Council 
leaders on their recent two day visit to Prishtina and Belgrade, 
again demanding the release of their loved ones.
In response, For. Minister Goran Svilanovic  stated to the UN 
delegation that the Serbs were ready to transfer the criminal cases 
to Kosova. But again, lack of detail prevents anyone from knowing how 
comprehensive this action will  be, who will  be included, who will 
be released, and why on earth the "judicial reviews" started last 
April will continue for the political prisoners, who have clearly 
committed no crimes.
So again, this move appears to be a strategy of "divide and conquer," 
of half-measures that split the remaining prisoners into smaller and 
smaller groups simply to avoid releasing them. While UNMIK hurries to 
find sites for the 100 criminal  prisoners,  the remaining 119 
Albanian political prisoners will sit in cells for longer 
undetermined periods. While Svilanovic claims they are "in the hands 
of the Serb justice system" the question is-what is Serb justice for 
Albanians?
Here's an example:
The torture these people sustained during their two years as hostages 
was extraordinary. One elderly man, a former political prisoner, 
Dylber Beka, age 68, was frequently severely tortured by a particular 
guard in Sremska Mitrovica, despite his weakened physical condition. 
He is now in the Prishtina Hospital with a large pelvic tumor and is 
very ill. He was released March 27, 2001. Several other prisoners 
have been hospitalized with tuberculosis, malnutrition, and many have 
major psychological trauma. Some political prisoners need 
reconstructive surgery. How is this justice? It is abuse, in blatant 
defiance of international norms.
Meanwhile, Senators McConnell and Leahy of the U.S. Senate Foreign 
Appropriations Committee recommended to Secretary Powell that the US 
not participate in the upcoming June 29th donors conference until 
Milosevic is sent to The Hague and all the remaining prisoners are 
released.
We urge EU leaders to withhold financial aid to the FRY until all the 
prisoners go home.

___________________________________________________
Belgrade Ready to Transfer Most Albanian Prisoners to Kosovo

BELGRADE, Jun 19, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) Belgrade is ready to 
transfer most of its ethnic Albanians prisoners to prisons in Kosovo, 
Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic said Monday.
     Svilanovic said 203 ethnic Albanians were still in prisons in Serbia
proper, but not all were from the southern, UN-run Serbian province.
     "Sixty percent of them were sentenced for common crimes and are 
not in prison for terrorism or political reasons," said Svilanovic, a 
member of the reformist government that toppled former president 
Slobodan Milosevic and his hardline regime last year.
     "The government is ready to transfer them to Kosovo," he said,
during a visit by Kosovo's UN administrator Hans Haekkerup and a UN
Security Council delegation.
     Serb forces fighting ethnic Albanian guerrillas took around 2,000
ethnic Albanian prisoners with them when NATO bombed them out of 
Kosovo in June 1999, but has progressively released them, mostly 
since Milosevic's fall in October.
     Svilanovic also raised the issue of 42 Serbs who have been held in
UN prisons in Kosovo for a year without trial.

((c) 2001 Agence France Presse)


parts of Media Report - 1806.doc

THE IMPRISONED AND THE MISSING- MAIN PRIORITIES

The Council of Released Hostages (KOPL) gathered approximately 28,000 
signatures for a petition, which seeks the immediate release of all 
Albanian prisoners and demands information on the 3,500 people who are
still missing. The petition also had photographs of people who were 
in Dubrava prison before the war but are missing now, reported Zëri 
on page
two.
     KOPL handed the petition to Ambassador Chowdhury, leading the 
15-member UN Security Council delegation to Kosovo. During a meeting 
with the delegation, the council's president Enver Dugolli requested 
the
delegation be more committed and apply more pressure on Belgrade for 
the release of the prisoners and to solve the cases of the missing 
people.
"We will take your requests to Belgrade when we go there on Monday. 
We will take up the talks with the Belgrade government, where 
Haekkerup left them" stated Chowdhury.
     A 47-year old woman from Molliq of Gjakova, Sabrie Rama, requested
the delegation show more commitment and apply greater pressure on
Belgrade to resolve the case of her missing husband, son, brother and
several nieces and nephews.
     Sitting on the steps of the National Theatre and holding up the
photos of her missing relatives, Sabrie criticized those who 
announced a protest two days ago. "During the protest that took place 
on Friday,
KOPL and the television appealed to the Kosovars to gather in front of
UNMIK headquarters to hold a protest. But other than several mothers
from Gjakova and myself, no one came. It is a shame and I would appeal
to everyone not to play games with the mothers of the imprisoned and 
the missing because we already are emotionally broken," said the 
Gjakovar mother with tears in her eyes.
___________________________________________
No reconciliation without the truth and justice

Kosova Sot carried on page six an interview with Natasa Kandic 
Director of the Humanitarian Rights Fund.

Albanians do not believe in Serb justice. In the prisons, there are
being held the victims (Albanians) and the executors (Serbs). The
protests of the Albanians for the release of the political prisoners are
continuing today as well. Is there hope for their release soon?
     It is necessary to speak only of the existing facts. It is true that
until now all the prisoners should have been released from the Serb
prisons. After the amnesty law and various court decisions, there are
still 105 prisoners who are waiting to be released and go home. After
all that happened in Serbia, and especially after the admission of the
mass graves, committed crimes and hiding the evidence, no political
prisoner should be held in the prison. In a normal country, it is
natural that after the end of the war and after the changes in the
government, all war prisoners who were kept there because of the war and
politically motivated acts be released. Among the prisoners none of them
has been charged for the murder of a civilian, only for terrorism. This
has to be done and this would be a sign of a good will, which would
stimulate Albanians to see this government as something positive. I
sincerely regret such unreasonable act, which keeps the families in
continuous doubt since the others were released and they are still
there.

_________________________________________

From: The Office of the Imprisoned and Missing People
in Gjakova/Kosova

To: United Nations Security Council Delegation due to
the visit to Kosova on the 15th , 16th and 17th of
June 2001
APPEAL

  Honoured ladies and gentlemen!
Firstly we express our deep regards toward your
continual engagement in the peace establishment and
the creation of the regional security, where the human
rights and freedoms criteria is a fundament of
building a civil society and now it has already become
an obligation for all Balkans nations. As this
engagement's result is also the release of over 1800
war hostages who were wrongfully and unfairly kept in
serbian jails from 1998 until today.

    	These June days when throughout Kosova we
celebrate the second anniversary of the NATO troops
entering Kosova; when with piety and high respect we
evoke your engagement in protecting the civil
population on one side, and the Kosova society on the
other side, which is still suffering the war
consequences caused during the genocide campaign by
the Milosevic's regime.
Even now, there are still hundreds of albanians being
kept in serbian prisons and many family members who
have no information about their dearest people are
still waiting anxiously. Despite the fundamental
changes that have happened in Kosova's society they
haven't been back to society and normal life. Having
the lack of information about their dearest these
people haven't been able to surpass the "affliction
period", as a necessary psychological process to be
reactivated into life and society. In such an anxious
state today in Kosova there are over 3300 families.

     	After the war, being plunged in the sensitive
desire to have their dearest people alive, most of
them have been unwilling to go and see when any
massive grave was found out by the Hague Tribunal
experts. But, today, after two years, the signs of
losing patience are manifested with the absolute
readiness of the family members to face the massive
graves, to give blood for analysis, etc. The war
hostages that are being kept in the serbian prisons as
well as the lack of information about the persons for
the fate of whom nothing is known represent two
crucial issues for the development of the democratic
processes and the civil society in Kosova.

     	Honoured ladies and gentlemen, expressing once
again our consideration for your engagement and your
activity in protecting the civil kosovar population
during the NATO air-bombing campaign; your continual
engagement toward the creation of the Kosova
self-governing institutions; we also, demand a higher
use of your authority on the Belgrade's government in
order to have immediately and unconditionally all
other albanian hostages that are being kept in serbian
prisons released and have information about the
persons for the fate of whom nothing is known.
__________________________________________________
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