[NYC-L] [AMCC-News] Torture of two Kosovars in Macedonian Prison (fwd)

[Albanians in Macedonia Crisis Center News & Information]

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                     URGENT ACTION - ALERT

                  (please distribute further)

KOSOVA ACTION NETWORK (KAN)
Alice Mead- intl. coordinator
amead(at)maine.rr.com

AUGUST 22, 2003

BRUTAL TORTURE OF TWO KOSOVAR ALBANIAN PRISONERS IN SUTKA PRISON, SKOPJE,
MACEDONIA, ONE ATTEMPTS SUICIDE

KOSOVA ACTION NETWORK (KAN) has received information from a human rights
activist and lawyer, Ms. Bella Murati, that two Kosova prisoners have been
severely and systematically tortured in a Macedonian prison. Ms. Murati was
contacted by one of their brothers, Xhevdet Ramaj. The two men, Nexhat and
Bedri Ramaj, are accused of terrorism for allegedly failing to stop at a
police checkpoint and then allegedly firing at the police in Tetovo, 2002.

UNMIK human rights officials should appoint a lawyer to investigate these
charges and should demand access to the two prisoners to determine the
extent of the torture they have suffered. Human Rights organizations should
supervise the conditions of the detention, the nature of the charges,
whether there have been forced confessions, and what rights have been
violated in this case. The perpetrators of the torture should be arrested
and tried.

These men are innocent until proven guilty and their human and civil rights
must be protected by Macedonia, UNMIK, and the EU. Macedonia is now an EU
country and, as such, there should be immediate and direct consequences for
this kind of abusive treatment.

Nexhet and Bedri Ramaj are now in the Sutka prison near Skopje. They were
arrested on September 19, 2003 in Tetove. During the arrest, Nexhat Ramaj
was severely injured. He has been denied medical treatment, although he has
been visited by the ICRC. The prisoners say they were on their way back to
Kosova after doing farm work in Macedonia. Another man was killed at the
time of their arrest. They have been accused of planning terrorist attacks,
but deny these allegations. They have received no sentence. Because of the
severe torture, Bedri Ramaj tried to commit suicide on July 25, 2003.

We urge Kosova Action members, government officials, and human rights
monitors to press for an immediate investigation of this situation.
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