Kosova Daily Report #1339, 98-02-06

Kosovo Information Center: Kosova Daily Report Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Kosova Information Center <kic_pr@zana-pr.ztn.apc.org>

Kosova Information Center

KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1339

Prishtina, 6 February 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Summary from President Rugova's Press Conference

[02] Serb Regime Court Extends 30-Day Detention to Eight Albanians in De^an

[03] Serbian Police Occupy Private Home of an Albanian in Komaran

[04] 2Serb Police Harass Albanians in Kijeva

[01] Summary from President Rugova's Press Conference

The President said Serb police used tear-gas as well during a several-hour siege it laid around the Ahmetxhekaj and Jonuzaj neighborhoods in Isniq of De^an last weekend. Dozens of people were subjected to fierce maltreatment while many were arrested, of whom eight were held to 30 day detonation, he said.

President Rugova noted with concern that besides huge police force in Kosova, there have been deployment and movements of Serb army in half a dozen municipalities in Kosova, such as Vushtrri, Mitrovica, Istog, Prizren, Suhareka, and Gllogovc. The increased movements and provocations of armed Serb civilians has been another worrying occurrence in Kosova lately, President Rugova said, and added that there have been reports about maltreatment of Albanians by masked and arms Serbs in villages of Klina, Istog and De^an. He warned the Serb in Kosova not to provoke their Albanian neighbors and "play with fire', noting that it is all the Kosova citizens who benefit from nonviolent approaches.

President Rugova assessed as seriously threatening the ongoing mobilization of people in Vojvodina and the schemes for their deployment in Kosova. He referred to the statements of two opposition leaders in Vojvodina, Nenad Canak and Mile Isakov who said that the Serb regime has been delivering mobilization summons to army reservists who are meant to be sent to Kosova.

Dr. Rugova said that along with the recently stepped-up Serb police and army provocations and intimidation, the systematic repression against the Kosovar people has continued with impunity. Scores of citizens, both common people and activist, bore the brunt of such repressive policies and frequent home raids, commonly carried out under the arms searches pretext.

The President said the situation in Kosova has become critically dangerous. He echoed again his call for an increased international presence in the country as a preventive measure. He reiterated that independence and neutrality of Kosova, coupled with guarantees for Serbs and Serb interests in Kosova is the best and the only workable solution.

President Rugova availed himself to commend international and national organizations and personalities who either visited Kosova during the last week or spoke of Kosova and underlying the urgent need to find a solution to its predicament. He acknowledged a delegation of the ambassadors of the OSCE troika who paid a two-day visit to Kosova, US State Department officials including Mr. 8Stephen Flanagan, special assistant to President Clinton who [during g a press availability in Skopje] said the State Dept "continues to watch the situation in Kosovo with a great deal of concern", and urged for a political dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade.

The President expressed his acknowledgements to the State Department Bureau for Democracy and Human Rights for the "thorough description of human rights situation" in the 1997 Country report.

Asked by a questioner to comment on proliferated statements of politicians in Albanian and Macedonia that in case of a conflict in Kosova Albanians would act as a one nation, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova said he saw it as normal thing, adding that apart from difficulties Albania has been facing now, and the problems Albanians have in Macedonia, they have been enhancing the level of organizing themselves as a society and a nation. "Therefore, we have warned persistently, and everybody is aware of it now, that a possible conflict in Kosova would spread into the whole region, in Albanian, Macedonia, Greece, in Serbia and Monetenegro by all means, etc", Rugova said.

Asked by another questioner who can prevent a conflict from escalation in Kosova, President Rugova said that it on the Serb regime fists and foremost to stop provoking the situation in Kosova. There should be more and more pressure on Belgrade regime so to make it begin a dialogue on Kosova under the international mediation, he said.

[02] Serb Regime Court Extends 30-Day Detention to Eight Albanians in De^an

Arif Tahirsylaj (47), a physician, Naser H. Tahirsylaj (30), Arb&r H. Tahirsylaj (18), Kamer A. Ahmetxhekajt (18), the three of them students from Isniq, brothers Demush Memaj, Faik Memaj and Bashkim Memaj from Lluka e Ep&rme, and Fatos B. Krasniqi (21), student from Prapaqan village, were given 30 of detention each in the so-called summary court proceedings.

Two other Albanians Naser Ahmetxhekaj from Isniq and Sali Shoshi arrested during the same campaign of Serb police in the area last week released, sources said.

Last Friday and Saturday, heavy Serbian police forces, backed up by armored cars and other police vehicles, besieged three neighborhoods at Isniq village of De^an. During a several hour campaign of house-to-house raids the police harassed family members, demolished homes and detained scores of Albanians.

Most of the detained Albanians were released after several hours, while the aforementioned 10 were held in custody, of whom 8 had their detention extended on Thursday.

The Serb police authorities have not yet provided a satement decribing why the 8 Albanians have been held in detention, or whether charges have been instituted.

Thirty Five People Killed in Kosova in 1997

Presently there are 80 Albanian political prisoners in Serb prisons, says CFDHRF.

PRISHTINA, Feb 6 (KIC) - Thirty five people were killed either through torture at the police custody, shot dead by the Serbian army or police, or were killed in yet unsolved circumstances in 1997, the Prishtina-based Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms said in an annual report issues today.

The Human Rights Council recorded last year 5 cases of Albanians killed in torture at the Serbian police custody, 8 persons were shot and killed by the Serbian police, 3 others were shot and killed by the Serbian army, one person died of the wounds inflicted by a Serbian civilian. Meanwhile, 18 persons found death in yet unclear circumstances, said the Human Rights Council.

In an attachment to the report, the CFDHRF said there are 80 Albanian political prisoner in the Serb prisons presently. They are being held in the prison camps in Nis, Pozarevac, Sremska Mitrovica in Serbia, and the Serb-run prison camps in Prishtina, Lipjan and Dubrav& e Istogut, in Kosova.

[03] Serbian Police Occupy Private Home of an Albanian in Komaran

Sources said the Serbian police have been using the house as an armament depot, too.

Heavy Serb police forces, and armored vehicles, were deployed since Thursday morning at Komoran village of Gllogovc, on the Prishtina- Peja road, some 20 miles from capital Prishtina.

Sand-bags and planks were placed around an older barrack, which had served earlier as a police check-point but was abandoned several years ago.

[04] 2Serb Police Harass Albanians in Kijeva

The police searched Wednesday and Thursday every single car that drove through. They too inspected the passersby. Human Rights Council says the Serbian police ill-treated many local residents and passersby.

Among the severely ill-treated persons are Habib Gashi, a teacher from Kijeva, Faton Maloku a shop owner in Malisheva, Xhavit Gashi and Petrit Gashi from the neighbouring village of Pllo^ic&.

They told the Council for Human rights that they were beaten for the sole reason that they did not greet the policemen.

The teacher Habib Gashi was ordered to report at the police station in Klina today, Human rights council says.

LDK sources in Malisheva reported that a Serbian police patrols intimidated and harassed many people in downtown Malisheva. The police kicked and punched every persons they could lay their hand on. Among the badly beaten persons was Osman Tha^i from Mirush&, and Mevledin Berisha from Gurbardh.

The Serbian police stationed in Kijeva continue to stop every single person on the road today, too.

Kosova Information Center

Kosovo Information Center: Kosova Daily Report Directory - Previous Article - Next Article