[A-PAL] A-PAL NEWSLETTER 3/26/02: KOSOVA PRISONERS TRANSFERRED

[Alice Mead]

A-PAL (ALBANIAN PRISONER ADVOCACY)
March 26, 2002



                        A-PAL STATEMENT

                         HOME AT LAST!

At long last, the remaining Albanian prisoners crossed the border 
into Kosova today, ending nearly three years of intensive 
international advocacy on their behalf. We can only imagine the 
relief the remaining families must feel at this moment to finally 
have contact with their loved ones again. We want to thank all the 
families for their extraordinary patience during this period.

              ***  THANKS TO EVERYONE EVERYWHERE WHO HELPED ****
The European A-PAL email action campaign--run by Divi Beineke in 
Germany and her team of translators- sent over 38,000 emails to world 
leaders on the prisoners' behalf. Wolfgang Plarre compiled daily 
articles and reports on human rights, missing and detained. In the 
USA, Naida Dukaj set up the first A-PAL website and ran the mail list 
for two years. Mentor Cana set up the mail administration. In 
Washington, Richard Lukaj and Ilir Zherka met with State Department 
staff and Senate foreign affairs staff. In Ireland, Valerie Hughes 
was our most resourceful campaigner, calling members of EP and UK and 
Irish foreign offices and embassies. Brendan Moran of Ireland Foreign 
Office assisted in raising the issue with other foreign offices. 
Bernie Sullivan of UK followed the UK foreign office and NATO.
Suzy Blaustein wrote the first comprehensive report for ICG in 1999. 
Laura Rozen wrote articles. Bob Hand. Jason Steinbaum, and Kelly 
Siekman staff members from the House and Senate, were supportive in 
raising the issue at OSCE and State Dept meetings. Albert Cevallos 
and Kurt Bassuener helped advance awareness both in DC. Eric Witte 
and Nina Bang-Jensen led the difficult effort to include the transfer 
of prisoners in the bill passed by the US Congress to condition 
future aid to the FRY.
  In Serbia, Natasa Kandic and Teki Bokshi of the Humanitarian Law 
Center visited prisoners, defended the 143 member Gjakova group, and 
monitored trials.
Teki Bokshi also managed the arrangments in releasing nearly forty 
minor children in November, 1999. Fred Abrahams and Bogdan Ivanisevic 
of HR Watch monitored trials. Paul Miller and Sian Jones of Amnesty 
helped monitor trials. Jovana Krstic and Jelena Milic of Grupa 484 
assisted A-PAL frequently. Patrick Gavigan of UNHCHR helped keep 
track of prisoner transfers and conditions. Stefano Valenti of 
Council of Europe helped forward information on trials.
MP Bart Staes was our most dedicated EP member. MP Emma Bonino and 
Olivier Dupuis also forwarded resolutions and sent letters. In 
Sweden, Anders Wessman and Idriz Zogaj provided early support in 
Brussels, ran four hunger strikes, and filed suit for kidnapping 
against President Kostunica. Judge Richard Goldstone included the 
prisoner issue in his report on Kosova. Mary-Teresa Moran in Chris 
Patten's office followed the situation diligently and persistently. 
MP's Doris Pack and Elmar Brok passed a resolution on prisoner 
release in EP Brussels.

In NY, lawyers Lisa LaPlante and Marko Maglich worked on the Albanian 
Prisoner Advocacy Guide and wrote the comments of Flora Brovina's 
trial. Also, Ambassador Ryan of Ireland and the Ambassador of 
Bangladesh raised the issue in the UN Security Council. In DC, 
Senators Smith, Leahy, Helms and McConnell repeatedly raised the 
issue in Congress and coordinated the effort to condition aid if the 
prisoners were not transfered by March 31, 2002, as did Reps. Engel 
and Cardin. At the US office in Prishtina, Julie Winn, Karen Levine, 
Laurie Dundon,and John Menzies offered support along the way. At the 
UK office, Victoria Whitford coordinated efforts in Belgrade and 
Prishtina. US A-PAL advocates Jane Stevenson and Trish Porter wrote 
to prisoners in Sremska Mitrovica and assisted in advocating the 
release of Bedri Kukalaj. Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell of the 
US State Dept. supported our efforts at crucial moments.

In Kosova, we want to thank Rizah Xhakali, Gani Krasniqi, Avni 
Klinaku, and Nexhmi Kelmendi of the APP office, and Ibrahim Makolli, 
Payazit Nushi, and Adem Demaci of the CDHRF office, as well as 
Shukrie Rexha who represented the prisoner issue on KTC. At UNMIK, 
Elizabeth Presse, John Christian Cady, and Clint Williamson were 
negotiators. Sarah Bascheti and Mary Elena Andreotti were helpful to 
families in need and to the Dubrava hunger strikers. Albin Kurti 
wrote letters to foreign governments and met with foreign office 
officials. Liburn Aliu helped ill prisoners who had returned home. 
Enver Dugolli met with UNMIK officials. The Gjakova Families 
petitioned internationally and did a lot to raise awareness. The 
Released Dubrava Prisoners insisted on the creation of an UNMIK 
department of Missing and Detained and the repair of the mass grave 
at Dubrava. Blerim Shala, Isuf Hajrizi and Halil Matoshi kept the 
prisoner issue alive and in the news. Over 75,000 Albanians signed 
the first petition we delivered to NATO. Thousands demonstrated in 
rain, heat, and snow. Six prisoners died in detention. But the other 
2,000 plus have now returned home.
     Best wishes to this last group,
      Your A-PAL Coordinators--
    Alice Mead        Mentor Cana           Anders Wessman
    Divi Beineke      Valerie Hughes
    Naida Dukaj       Wolfgang Plarre

>              *****************************************
>
Agence France Presse         March 26, 2002 Tuesday
>  Belgrade turns over Kosovo prisoners, meeting US condition for aid
>
>    DATELINE: NIS, Yugoslavia, March 26
>
>    Serbian authorities on Tuesday began a transfer of ethnic Albanian
>    prisoners held in Serbian jails to Kosovo, meeting a key US demand for
>    extending aid to Yugoslavia.
>
>    A convoy of four buses, escorted by two UN vehicles and Serbian police
>    cars, was seen leaving a prison in the southern Serbian town of Nis
>    around 2:10 pm (1310 GMT).
>
>    A total of 145 ethnic Albanian prisoners, 104 from Nis prison and 41
>    from Sremska Mitrovica, were to be transferred to Kosovo, the Beta
>    news agency reported quoting the Serbian justice ministry. Seven
>    ethnic Albanian prisoners wanted to serve their sentence in Serbia and
>    not to be transferred to Kosovo, Bruno Vekaric of the ministry told
>    Beta.
>
>    The US Congress had made the transfer of ethnic Albanian prisoners to
>    Kosovo from other parts of Serbia before March 31 a condition for
>    receving 40 million dollars in aid to Belgrade.
>
>    Washington is also demanding cooperation from Belgrade in arresting
>    and turning over suspects wanted by the UN war crimes tribunal in The
>    Hague.
>
>    The transfer was in accordance with an agreement reached last week by
>    the Serbian government and the UN mission in Kosovo on an exchange of
>    prisoners captured during the Kosovo war.
>
>    Under the agreement ethnic Albanian prisoners held in Serbian prisons
>    will continue to serve out their sentences in Kosovo, while Serb
>    prisoners held in Kosovo will in return be sent to jails elsewhere in
>    Serbia.
>
>    The agreement was signed Friday by Serbian Prime Minister Zoran
>    Djindjic, Deputy Prime Minister responsible for Kosovo Nebojsa Covic
>    and Yugoslav Prime Minister Dragisa Pesic, and the UN administrator
>    for Kosovo, Michael Steiner, signed the accord on behalf of the
>    province.
>
>    Over 2,100 detainees were sent to central Serbia during the June 1999
>    pullout of Yugoslav forces from the southern Serbian province of
>    Kosovo.
>
>    Most of the prisoners stand accused of terrorism and murder during the
>    1998-1999 war in which Yugoslav forces fought ethnic Albanian
>    guerrillas in Kosovo.
>
>    Some prisoners were released due to lack of evidence or after serving
>    some time and others were sentenced to prison for 10 years or more.
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