[From nobody Fri Sep 28 16:27:28 2007 Return-Path: <a-pal-admin@alb-net.com> Received: from rly-za05.mx.aol.com (rly-za05.mail.aol.com [172.31.36.101]) by air-za01.mail.aol.com (v79.20) with ESMTP id MAILINZA14-0620103524; Wed, 20 Jun 2001 10:35:24 -0400 Received: from alb-net.com (alb-net.com [199.173.50.4]) by rly-za05.mx.aol.com (v78_r3.8) with ESMTP; Wed, 20 Jun 2001 10:34:45 -0400 Received: from alb-net.com (alb-net.com [199.173.50.4]) by alb-net.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 11A578C5C; Wed, 20 Jun 2001 10:34:41 -0400 (EDT) Delivered-To: a-pal@alb-net.com Received: from ptldme-smtp2.maine.rr.com (ptldme-smtp2.maine.rr.com [204.210.65.67]) by alb-net.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0E2088C10 for <a-pal@alb-net.com>; Wed, 20 Jun 2001 09:56:59 -0400 (EDT) Received: from [66.30.17.206] (ptldme-cmt3-c3-66-30-17-206.maine.rr.com [66.30.17.206]) by ptldme-smtp2.maine.rr.com (8.11.0/RoadRunner 1.03) with ESMTP id f5KDupo02607 for <a-pal@alb-net.com>; Wed, 20 Jun 2001 09:56:52 -0400 (EDT) Mime-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: <v04220801b75659bd8684@[66.30.17.206]> To: a-pal@alb-net.com From: Alice Mead <amead@mail.maine.rr.com> Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="============_-1219077532==_ma============" Subject: [A-PAL] a-pal newsletter 6/20/01 Sender: a-pal-admin@alb-net.com Errors-To: a-pal-admin@alb-net.com X-BeenThere: a-pal@alb-net.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.5 Precedence: bulk List-Help: <mailto:a-pal-request@alb-net.com?subject=help> List-Post: <mailto:a-pal@alb-net.com> List-Subscribe: <http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/a-pal>, <mailto:a-pal-request@alb-net.com?subject=subscribe> List-Id: Albanian Prisoner Advocacy List -- Prisoner Pals <a-pal.alb-net.com> List-Unsubscribe: <http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/a-pal>, <mailto:a-pal-request@alb-net.com?subject=unsubscribe> List-Archive: <http://www.alb-net.com/pipermail/a-pal/> Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 09:49:17 -0400 X-Mailer: Unknown (No Version) --============_-1219077532==_ma============ Content-Type: text/enriched; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <fontfamily><param>Geneva</param><bigger><bigger>A-PAL (ALBANIAN=20 PRISONER ADVOCACY) JUNE 19, 2001 Two year anniversary passes--<bold>119 ALBANIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS=20 REMAIN-----PLUS 100 CRIMINAL CASES STILL DETAINED IN SERBIA =20 </bold>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?=20 Here's an example: The torture these people sustained during their two years as hostages was extraordinary. One elderly man, a former political prisoner,=20 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. ___________________________________________________ <bold>Belgrade Ready to Transfer Most Albanian Prisoners to Kosovo </bold>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.=20 ((c) 2001 Agence France Presse) parts of Media Report - 1806.doc <bold>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</bold>, reported Z=EBri on page two. <bold> 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. </bold> 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 <bold>Kosova Sot carried on page six an interview with Natasa Kandic Director of the Humanitarian Rights Fund. =20 </bold>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. =20 __________________________________________________ </bigger></bigger></fontfamily> --============_-1219077532==_ma============-- ]