[Kcc-News] Human Rights and Freedoms in Kosova from December 19 until 26 December 1999: Weekly Report #477

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KËSHILLI PËR MBROJTJEN E TË DREJTAVE E TË LIRIVE TË NJERIUT
COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF  HUMAN  RIGHTS AND  FREEDOMS
Rr. Zdrini, 38000 Prishtinë-Kosovë; tel. 381 (0) 549006  fax: 381 (0) 38
549007
E-mail:kmdlnj at albanian.com      cdhrf at albanian.com
http://www.albanian.com/kmdlnj

REPORT NO. 477
On the situation of human rights and freedoms in Kosova from 19 until 26
December 1999

During this week, according to the available data, 3 Albanians were killed;
3 citizens were wounded, 2 of whom are Albanians (one died in a mine
accident) and one is Serb. A girl was kidnapped and there was a kidnap
attempt of two other youngsters. Family members identified 31 Albanian
civilians, killed by Serbian forces in the end of March this year.


CHRONICLE

	Killing

20 December. – Mejdi Sylejmani (about 50) from Sadovina e Jerlive was
killed at about 16.00, in the entrance of Vitia.

22 December. – An Albanian citizen was killed due to the shots fired from a
car heading towards Lipjan and another one was wounded.

23 December. – The corpse of Riza Sokoli (43) from Dollova (Klina) was
found at the Ura e Hekurit near Klina.

	Mass graves – reburials, identifications

SKËNDERAJ: Last days, until 23 December, according to the clothes and other
personal things of the killed persons, exhibited in the building of the
District Council in Skënderaj, family members identified 31 Albanians,
executed by the Serbian forces on 28 March in Izbica, when 127 Albanian
civilians were executed. Later on, several other executed Albanian civilians
were buried in that grave, therefore there were corpses of over 150 Albanian
civilians in that mass grave. In order to eliminate traces of the crimes, in
the end of May, Serbian forces took the corpses from this grave towards
unknown direction. Some of them were found in the mass graves in Suhodoll
(Mitrovica) and Bruznik and Novolan (Vushtrri). So far, the following were
identified: Mehmet Hajra, Qerime Hajra (39), Halit Rrustemi (52), Bajram
Bajra (34) and Muhamet Emra (39) – Izbica; Rexhë Duraku (87), Bel Duraku
(71), Avdullah Duraku (55), Hajriz Shala (77), Hysen Shala (36), Milazim
Zeka (53), Jahir Zeka (45) and Sheremet Thaçi (51) – Buroja; Rrahim Tahiri
(80), Rrahim Krasniqi (70) and Sadik Sherif Hoti (67) – Vojnika; Halit
Musliu (62), Muhamet Musliu (46) and Naim Musliu (23) – Klina e Poshtme;
Shefqet Hoti (56) and Vehbi Hoti (26) – Marina; Osman Dajaku (59) –
Rakinica, Murat Draga (35) – Leçina, Selman Ukë Loshi (78) – Padalishta and
Ilaz Bajra (68) – Kllodernica (Skënderaj) as well as Hamzë Qupeva (49),
Hajdar Bajraktari (52) and Tahir Hoti (56) – Jashanica; Azem Kuqica (70) and
Hamdi Doçi (44) – Kërrnica and Sabit Qallpeku (39) – Shtupel (Klina).

VUSHTRRI: On 24 December, an unidentified corpse wrapped up in a plastic
bag was found in a grave in Duboc.


	Wounding in mine accidents

GJILAN: On 20 December, Nexhat Ali Zymberaj (1952) from Burica e Karadakut
stepped on a mined field in Logja and suffered severe wounds. He was taken
to the Prishtina Hospital urgently.

	Wounding

RAHOVEC: On 20 December, late in the evening, in the quarter where the
Serbs, Roma and hashkali live, a Roma called Gafurr severely wounded a Serb
named Gërkoviq (18).

	Disappearances and kidnappings

GJAKOVA: On 19 December, at about 19.30, in the vicinity of the Catholic
Church in Gjakova, 4 persons in a white “Ford van attempted to kidnap an
18-year-old boy.

On 22 December, at about 23.30, in Çarshia e Vogël in Gjakova, two unknown
persons kidnapped a girl, who according to an eyewitness was from Peja. She
was a guest in Gjakova.

PRISHTINA: On 22 December, three unknown persons attempted to kidnap a girl
(pupil) from Prishtina. On noticing the KFOR patrol, they released her and
ran away towards unknown direction. Due to the slippery road, they could not
manage to go very far, so KFOR British soldiers could catch them and hand
them in to the UNMIK police.

	Trials

- On 22 December, the District Court in Kurshumlia (Serbia) convicted Senad
Begu and Selim Azemi, both from Podujeva, to 8 months of imprisonment each
for “illegal felling of trees”. They were kidnapped on 14 September by
Serbian policemen and civilians, while they were cutting woods in their own
forests in the vicinity of Merdar, on the border Kosova-Serbia.
	Ill-treatment, attacks, provocations

FUSHË-KOSOVA: On 19 December, at about 21.30, in Çagllavica (Prishtina),
some Serbs attacked Abdylmenaf Rrustemi, a teacher with the “Hivzi
Sylejmani” Gymnasium in Fushë-Kosova, while he was travelling by car to
Prishtina. They broke the car door.

PRISHTINA: On 19 December, after 22.00, several cars were damaged due to a
grenade explosion in “Dardania” quarter.

MITROVICA: On 20 December, at 13.30, a group of Serbs attacked the office
of the Albanian Republican Party, which is in the northern part of the town.
The very same day, by the order of the UNMIK regional administrator in
Mitrovica, Stefan De Mistura, the UN flag was removed from the Mitrovica
Hospital, which is in the northern part of the town, as the Serbian medical
staff refused the return of 22 Albanian doctors in this hospital. De Mistura
stated that the UN flag would be raised in this hospital, when the Albanian
doctors and patients would return. Until then, there will be no aid for this
hospital.

On 23 December, at about 12.30, in “7 Shtatori” quarter, in the northern
part of the town, two Serbs severely ill treated Aslihane Hakif Begu (49)
and her son Shpend Shasivar Begu (15), living in this quarter, and
threatened them with killing if they move in this part of the town again.

The very same day, Bahri Pllana (brother of Basri Pllana, a collaborator of
the Serbian regime) threatened with fire weapon the medical staff in the
Health Care Centre in Mitrovica and opened fire in the stomatology ward,
when windows got broken. On going out, he threatened the citizens, insulted
a girl and pointed his weapon at a youngster, who on self-defence wounded
him on his hand. Bahri was taken to the French military hospital.

Through an anonymous phone call made to the so-called “Serbian District
Council”, which operates in the northern part of the town, the paramilitary
organisation “Beli Orlovi” (White eagles) claimed the responsibility for the
attack on the office of the Albanian Republican Party in Mitrovica.

	The prisoners and prisons

PRISHTINA: An Albanian citizen introduced with his initials A. I. from
Banja e Sijarinës (Medvegja), who was released from the military prison of
Nish (Serbia) on 17 December and who lives with his family in Shkup, managed
to take a list with the names of 15 Albanian prisoners in Nish, even though
their number is much higher. According to him, the following were on the
same floor with him: Dedë Markaj, Frano Komoni and Haxhi Pajazitaj - from
Gjakova; Robert Gashi, Jani or Toni Prela, Lazër Krasniqi and Sokol Ndue –
from Korenica (Gjakova); Fatmir Shashivar Memaj, Kujtim Ekrem Memaj,
Nexhmedin Haki Ajazaj and Elez Kurtaj – from Zhur (Prizren); Ibrahim Tahiri
and Abdyl Morina – from the district of Rahovec; Jeton Dalip Krasniqi from
Buça (Dragash) and Gani Shukriu from the district of Prizren.

PEJA: The following were released from the prison of Leskovc (Serbia):
Beqir Tahir Loxha, Xhevat Ramë Bajrami and Vllaznim Brahim Përgjegjaj from
Vitomirica and Agron Ibrahim Kollçaku from Peja. They were arrested by
Serbian forces 7 months ago.

SUHAREKA: On 24 December, Sokol Ymer Kabashi (1972) from Dardhishta
(Suhareka) was released from the prison of Prokuple (Serbia). He was
arrested on 24 January 1999 on the border with Hungary in Kelebi of Subotica
(Vojvodina).

PRISHTINA: On 20 December, at about 6.00 am, UNMIK police, in cooperation
with KFOR, arrested an Albanian (32), under the suspicion that within two
month he had committed 5 killings in Llukar.

	Eastern Kosova  – (Presheva, Bujanoc, Medvegja)

BUJANOC: On 21 December, at about 19.00, 7 Serbian policemen entered the
“Teuta” pizzeria in Bujanoc, where they provoked, insulted on a national and
family basis and threatened with liquidation the waiter Lirim Sherifali
Nazifi (1979). On leaving, policemen ill-treated Hevzi Bilall Ahmeti (1947),
a pensioner, owner of the building.

PRESHEVA: These days, 100-150 members of Serbian special units were
situated in Presheva. They were stationed in the Youth House in Presheva and
during the patrol, they usually go in groups of 15-20 members.

	KFOR interventions

KAÇANIK: On 26 December, in the vicinity of Doganaj, at the cross-road
Tetova-Brezovica, KFOR Polish soldiers stopped the Albanian sportsmen, who
were on their way to Brezovica for the activity “All in snow”, previously
announced by the Ski Federation of Kosova. Moreover, soldiers opened fire
thrice on the tyre of the car, in which was Hajrush Demaj, chairman of the
Ski Federation of Kosova.


Prishtina, 26 December 1999
									
Information Service