[A-PAL] a-pal Newsletter

[Alice Mead]

A-PAL Newsletter
Albanian Prisoner Advocacy
May 14, 2001-2 year Anniversary



                              A-PAL STATEMENT
       -----  140 POLITICAL PRISONERS REMAIN-----------

  KOSTUNICA'S  STATEMENTS TO U.S. LEADERS AND UN  MISLEADING

  President Kostunica, who recently visited the US, the UN, and 
Germany was less than forthright when he stated that the remaining 
Albanian prisoners were in the appeals process and would be released. 
140 Albanian political prisoners and 120 criminal cases remain in 
Serb prisons two years after the end of the NATO war in Kosova. But 
the Serb Supreme Court is still staffed with the same judges who were 
appointed under the Milosevic regime, the same judges who sentenced 
these hostages to harsh terms, oversaw their torture, refused to 
follow UN protocol for arrest and detention, and violated their own 
Yugoslav Constitution in using forced confessions as evidence. These 
are the same judges who Human Rights Watch president Holly Cartner 
said make it impossible for Albanians to receive a fair trial in 
Serbia.

What has happened is that a new President of the Serb Supreme Court 
has been appointed-Lepa Karamarkovic. Her reputation is as a judge 
who understands human rights, the basic principles of equality, and 
the rule of law free of political  influence. But she cannot order 
these old regime judges to release the Albanian prisoners and 
transfer the criminal cases to  Kosova, the procedure stated in UN 
Resolution 1244.

Two days ago, an Albanian student was up for appeal before the Serb 
Supreme Court. The young man had been sentenced to 7 years without 
evidence of any crime ever being committed. Instead of releasing him, 
the Supreme Court reduced his sentence for terrorism to 3 years. He 
will remain in prison for another year.  This, then is the Serb 
leaders' idea of complying with the rule of law---for which they are 
being richly rewarded financially and diplomatically by all the 
institutions who should be protecting the human rights of these 260 
people. The amnesty law, which should have provided for the release 
of the Albanian political prisoners released
30, 000 Serbs and 200 Albanians. That's discrimination. Albanians 
have been labeled collectively as "terrorists." The Serb Ministry of 
Justice needs no proof, nor even any specific charges.

And when will the Milosevic regime judges step down and new ones be 
appointed? Next year! They will be appointed by the Serb Parliament.

Since the UN, OSCE, the EU, and the USA will not intervene to protect 
and guarantee the rights of Kosovar citizens, they should:

1. publish a list of all judges who participate in these trials
2. withhold economic aid until all 140 political prisoners are released
3. appoint international lawyers to bring a class action suit for 
damages against the Serb Supreme Court
4. Levy a fee per prisoner for time lost, mental and emotional 
anguish of the family, recompense of torture and abuse-500 DM per 
month is the amount their families in Kosova need to survive 
economically without their male wage-earners


PRISONER OF THE WEEK:  BESIM  ZYMBERI-AGE 33. DUBRAVA MASSACRE 
SURVIVOR. IN VERY POOR HEALTH. SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS FOR TERRORIST 
ACTS. HE IS IN BELGRADE CENTRAL PRISON. PLEASE WRITE TO HIM __ BESIM 
ZYMBERI, KPZ BEOGRAD CENTRAL, BEOGRAD, SERBIA, YU

PAST PRISONERS OF THE WEEK
1. Nexhat Brahimi-age 27. Very poor health. Nish Prison.
2. Kumrie Vocaj-age 22. Female. Arrested at age 14 in 1992. No trial 
in 8 years. Pozharevac Prison.
3. Bedri Kuklaj-age 23. Shot in the head at the Dubrava Massacre, 
shattering his jaw and eye. Unable to eat. Sentenced to 10 years. 
Belgrade Central Prison.
4. Bekim Kastrati-now released.
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