[A-PAL] Albanian Prisoner Advocacy Newsletter 9/21/01

[Alice Mead]

Albanian Prisoner Advocacy
September 21, 2001



              IMPORTANT UPDATE on Albanian Prisoners!
Despite the dreadful news of the terrorist attacks in
the USA, some progress has been made on the Albanian
prisoner issue. On September 11, we have all had a horrific reminder of the
urgency of preserving human freedom from brutal and
unlawful acts. We must get back to our lives and responsibilities to 
help free others who are deprived of their basic liberty and freedoms.


On September 12,2001, Serb and Kosovar officials reached a transfer
agreement that guarantees the transfer of the approximately
  200 remaining Albanian prisoners to the jurisdiction of UNMIK in Kosova.
A new branch of UNMIK-- The Judicial International
Administration--will oversee the transfer. UNMIK justice department 
administrator, John-Christian Cady, has now a list of all detainees, 
including their location, and the date and length of their sentences. 
Meanwhile, Serb Supreme Court president Lepa Karamarkovic is 
collecting all the prison documents in preparation for the transfer. 
However, there is still no agreed-upon date for the transfer to take 
place. In addition, UNMIK leaders have discussed with Mr. Covic the 
importance of dismantling the parallel judge system by which 
Milosevic "moved" the courts of Kosova to various locations in 
Serbia and then tried the Albanians with these artificial courts. 
Prisoners's cases will be reviewed by UNMIK. Those who need to be in 
detention will be placed in the renovated Dubrava Prison, where they 
will have immediate access to family members, lawyers, and friends. 
The Dubrava Prison will be run in accordance with international 
humanitarian standards.

While this news may sound positive to outsiders,
anxious families in Kosova have become increasingly fearful that 
somehow even this joint effort will fail and their loved ones will 
not be
released, especially because there is not set date for the transfer 
to take place. Therefore, we urge all A-PAL activists to
continue their pressure on leaders everywhere to
follow through and make sure these people return home. It is 
sustained international pressure that has brought about this 
agreement. Now we must make sure that it takes place soon.


THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIRELESS EFFORTS IN KEEPING THE
ALBANIAN PRISONER ISSUE IN THE FOREFRONT OF
INTERNATIONAL POLICY. WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THE LAST
ONE RETURNS TO KOSOVA.       READ ON FOR DETAILS.........

__________________________________________________
        Prisoners and their families still need support: regarding 
torture, housing, rehabilitation and bribes for release, which still 
continue.
      *****************************************************
Merita Mazreku recently visited the APP office in Prishtina. Her 
husband Hasan is being held in Zajecar prison in Serbia, where he is 
serving a 6 year sentence along with this two brothers all from 
Drenoc near Decan. Merita lost four brothers in the war and her 
father is missing. She has been living for over 2 years in one room 
cleared of rubble in her bombed-out house. She has four children ages 
10, 9, 7, and 4. There are no doors or windows in the house. Her 
neighbors give her money to feed and clothe the children. She has 
received 110 Dm from the APP office but has no other source of 
support.

A 33 year old man from Prishtina was released from prison in April. 
He had been violently beaten in his pelvis during interrogation and 
also in prison. A tumor began to grow on the site. When he was 
released and got home, the tumor grew very quickly. It is now so 
large that he can no longer walk. A biopsy has revealed that it is 
not malignant, but is pressing on nerves and he is great pain. No 
doctors at Prishtina hospital are able to help him with the surgery 
he needs.

Bedri Kukalaj's father repeatedly visited the APP office recently, 
worried about his son's health. He said that the bullets from the 
Dubrava massacre are still embedded in Bedri's jaw. The family has 
asked for a doctor to visit him but the prison doctor has refused 
this. He was arrested in a village near Decan in 1998. Three other 
Albanians were shot during the arrest and died. Three others besides 
Bedri survived.

Released prisoner, Avni M, who was injured in the Dubrava Massacre 
came to give his statement regarding the massacre and torture.
Avni was arrested in Junik in June, 1998. He was arrested in the 
woods for bringing arms into Kosova. There he was beaten with rifles 
and clubs. Two other men, one his brother, were executed on the spot. 
He was taken to Gjakova Prison where he was tortured for six days, 
beaten with baseball bats and was nearly kicked to death. Later he 
was wounded in the Dubrava Massacre by a grenade in the courtyard. 
His arm was amputated in Prishtina Hospital on June 2, 1999. Then he 
was taken to Lipjan Prison, but was again retured to the hospital. He 
was left alone there until NATO forces arrived. His house and 
everything in it was destroyed. He is now a member of the Baba Loc 
Invalid Association in Decan.

Zejadin had come to Prishtina on May 19, 1999 because his village 
near Podujevo was destroyed. He and his brothers were arrested in the 
city and taken to the police station, where they were beaten all day 
with bats, chairs, and fists. Then he was taken to Lipjan with 20 
people and put in the gymnasium with 300 others. There was no food 
and hardly any bread. Conditions there were horrible. His whole body 
was black from bruises. His brother Hussen was violently tortured in 
Lipjan, and beaten all over. His spine was damaged from this. Their 
house was in Letanc but is completely destroyed.

              ESCAPE! BRIBES AND CORRUPTION CONTINUE!
Fehmi H. gave his statement. He was arrested on May 22, 1999 and 
entered Kosova again in August, 2001. He was arrested in Vushtri 
where 400 people were put in the sports hall while the security 
police took information. He was then sent to prison where he was 
asked if he was in KLA. He said he was not. They took him on the 
second floor and beat him. They drew up a confessions saying he had 
shot policemen in five villages, but he denied it. They had him 
handcuffed and took off his clothes. They beat him on the genitals 
with wire. They poured water on him and beat him some more. Kicking 
him and then put him in a cell where he couldn't sleep for two days. 
They said they would shoot him because he wouldn't sign. He was 
sentenced to 11 years. His family paid 15,000 DM for a defense 
lawyer, but the lawyer did nothing. In July 10, 2001, his case was 
reviewed in Krajleva and some Serb witnesses came from Vushtri to 
testify against them. He didn't know them but gave APP their names. 
He was then transfered to Smedereva Prison in Presevo with three 
other Albanians. There 3 Serbs telephoned them and said for 20,000 DM 
a piece they could all be released. His family paid and he was 
released and the four reentered Kosova illegally.

 From Drenoc. Lah Nitaj's brothers are both in Zajecar Prison. The 
family had paid 20,000 DM each for the reduction of their sentence 
from 15 years(sentenced Feb. 2000) to 2.5 years in June 2001. Now he 
had been called by two lawyers to say that they could be released now 
if they paid another 10,000 DM. UNHCHR investigated and they were 
released and are now home.

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