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Kosova Daily Report #1589, 98-10-21
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1589
Prishtina, 21 October 1998
CONTENTS
[01] President Rugova Receives UN Delegation
[02] Kosova Negotiators Meet with British Foreign Secretary Cook in Shkup
[03] Three Malisheva Villages Shelled by Serb Forces Tuesday
[04] Heavy Detonations in Shal& e Bajgor&s Villages Tuesday
[05] One More Killed Albanian Found in Deliu Family Compound Area
[06] Member of Deliu Family Dies in Hospital of Wounds Received in Serb
Slaughter
[07] Remains of Carbonated Body of Albanian Found in Jezerc Village of
Ferizaj
[08] Serb Police Kills Albanian in Raushiq Tuesday
[09] Serb Police Illtreats Albanian Patients, Medical Staff, and Passers-
bye in Prishtina
[01] President Rugova Receives UN Delegation
PRISHTINA, Oct 21 (KIC) - The President of the Republic of Kosova Dr
Ibrahim Rugova received today a UN delegation, headed by Mr. Staffan de
Mistura, who are on a fact-finding mission to Kosova.
The situation in Kosova is dangerous and volatile, as a result of the
Serbian military and police offensives against the Albanian people,
President Rugova said.
The Serb regime has not been complying with UNSCR 1199, Rugova said, adding
that Serb forces are not being withdrawn, but rather regrouping in Kosova.
Hailing the establishment of NATO aerial and OSCE ground verification
regimes in Kosova, the Kosova President said a comprehensive international
protection for the people of Kosova is needed. He pressed for the
deployment of NATO troops in Kosova.
The people of Kosova have opted in referendum for independence of their
country, Rugova said, concluding that an independent Kosova, with an
interim stage international protectorate, would stabilize the entire south-
eastern Europe.
After the meeting, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, the head of the UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan's mission to Kosova, told the press in Prishtina he had
met with Dr. Rugova, "based on the need to encounter all the personalities
who are important on the issue of Kosova".
He said he would make no declaration till the mission is over.
[02] Kosova Negotiators Meet with British Foreign Secretary Cook in Shkup
PRISHTINA, Oct 21 (KIC) - Dr. Fehmi Agani and Ms Edita Tahiri, members of
the Kosova negotiating team, were to meet today with British Foreign
Secretary, Mr. Robin Cook, in Shkup, FYROM capital.
Reports said Mr. Cook would try to persuade the Kosovars the Holbrooke-
Milosevic deal is the best one for the moment.
The Kosova negotiating team has objected to the U.S. envoy, Chris Hill's
plan for an interim solution in Kosova. In some occasions, Albanian
negotiators said the plan could not even serve as a basis for further
talks.
[03] Three Malisheva Villages Shelled by Serb Forces Tuesday
PRISHTINA, Oct 21 (KIC) - Serbian military forces positioned at Ostrozub
shelled yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon in the direction of the villages of
Ostrozub, Dragobil and Guriq of the municipality of Malisheva, LDK sources
said. There were no reported victims.
Meanwhile, sources said Serb forces based in Malisheva, Dragobil,
Shkorashnik and Carralluk& resumed shelling the villages of T&rpez&,
Lladroc, Senik, etc. Serb police tried to enter part of the village of
Bllac& in a bid to loot Albanian homes. They were resisted by U^K members
and after an exchange of fire, police withdrew to its base in the Sukaj and
Bajraktari family compounds, sources said.
New refugees, fleeing T&rpez& and two family compounds of the village of
Lladrofc, have been arriving in Ngucat to escape Serb shelling.
The health situation of the six-month boy, Albion Bali Krasniqi, is grave.
He was wounded yesterday together with his mother, Shpresa (30), in T&rpez&
village.
[04] Heavy Detonations in Shal& e Bajgor&s Villages Tuesday
PRISHTINA, Oct 21 (KIC) - Heavy detonations were heard yesterday (Tuesday)
around 14:00 in the villages of Mazhiq, Rashan, Melenic&, Trep^ali and Bare
of the Shal& e Bajgor&s region, which straddles the municipalities of
Mitrovica, Vushtrri and Podujeva, LDK sources in Mitrovica said.
Serb police reservists and civilians opened fire from automatic weapons
overnight in the "Kroi i Vitakut" neighborhood in Mitrovica.
Meanwhile, three Serb tanks and seven lorryloads of policemen left the
Serbian military garrisons in Mitrovica today (Wednesday) morning and
headed for Stari T&rg, the LDK chapter in Mitrovica said.
Eight lorryloads of Serb police arrived in Mitrovica at 8:30 o'clock in the
morning today. They came from Skenderaj area.
The lorries were full of home appliances looted by Serb police in Albanian
villages of Skenderaj, sources said.
[05] One More Killed Albanian Found in Deliu Family Compound Area
PRISHTINA, Oct 21 (KIC) - The killed body of a still unidentified man has
been found in a well of the Deliu family compound in Obri e Ep&rme village
of Skenderaj ('Srbica'), the local chapter of the Prishtina-based Council
for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) said.
It is suspected that the killed is one of the members of the Deliu family,
massacred by Serb forces on 28 September. Two of them have been missing
since then, Hajriz Fazli Deliu (35) and Sherif Deliu.
The killed man may well turn to be the 25th slain member of the extended
Deliu family.
The massacre by Serb forces of the Deliu family late last month outraged
the world public. [See related story below, "Member of Deliu..."]
[06] Member of Deliu Family Dies in Hospital of Wounds Received in Serb
Slaughter
PRISHTINA, Oct 21 (KIC) - Last evening, Bedrie Deliu (25), mother of four,
resident of Obria e Ep&rme village of Skenderaj, died in the intensive care
unit of the Prishtina hospital, the KIC has learned.
Hospital sources said she had been taken there with serious wounds to the
head, as a result of physical torture.
Bedrie was a member of the Deliu extended family, 25 members of whom were
massacred by Serb forces in their native village of Obri late last month.
[07] Remains of Carbonated Body of Albanian Found in Jezerc Village of
Ferizaj
PRISHTINA, Oct 21 (KIC) - The remains of the burned body of Hamdi Biba (68),
killed by Serb paramilitary police forces in Jezerc village, were found
Monday, a family member said.
Shaqir Biba, Hamdi's son, told the LDK chapter in Ferizaj he found the body
of his burned father tied to a pillar in the lobby of his burned house.
"My father was probably executed first, then burned, because casings of
spent bullets were near his body", Shaqir said.
Hamdi Biba is the 14th Albanian slain by Serb forces in the village of
Jezerc.
[08] Serb Police Kills Albanian in Raushiq Tuesday
PRISHTINA, Oct 21 (KIC) - Serbian forces killed yesterday (Tuesday) an
Albanian man, around 60 years of age, in the village of Raushiq of the
municipality of Peja, the LDK chapter in Peja said. The name of the killed
man has not been reported.
There is a heavy Serb forces' presence in Raushiq and other Peja villages.
Albanian villagers who have stayed behind or been trickling back to their
homes in Peja villages are routinely ill- treated and arrested by Serb
forces, sources said.
[09] Serb Police Illtreats Albanian Patients, Medical Staff, and Passers-
bye in Prishtina
Five wounded Albanian men, eight women and three children are at the mercy
of Serb police in the Lungs Hospital in Dragodan neighborhood, sources say
PRISHTINA, Oct 21 (KIC) - Serbian police have been ill-treating and
harassing Albanian patients and medical staff in the Hospital for Lungs
Diseases, as well as passers-by in the road passing along the front yard of
the hospital situated in the Dragodan neighborhood of the Kosova capital,
Prishtina.
Serbian policemen have been placed, as it were, on duty in the Lungs
Hospital a week or so ago, when NATO threatened air strikes against Serb
targets.
Hospital sources told the KIC a number of wounded Albanians, with the
status of detainees [!], were taken out of the Surgery Clinic in the main
Prishtina hospital and transferred to the Lungs Hospital so as to make room
for potential patients in case of NATO strikes.
Five wounded Albanian men, eight women, and three children are still in the
Lungs Hospital. They are placed in the first floor, in the oncology
department, alongside with ten Serb policemen who are on duty to guard the
detainees, the KIC has been told by hospital staff on condition of
anonymity.
Most of the patients, excluding seriously ill ones, have been in fact
driven out of the hospital to create space for pending wounded people.
The wounded Albanian detainees, now holed up in the Lungs Hospital, are
from war zones in Kosova.
In one room, which is held permanently under lock, is where the five
wounded men have been placed. Arb&r and Valon, are the names of two ones, a
third is surnamed Gjokaj and is seriously wounded, sources told the KIC.
The names of two other wounded persons have not been made known.
Five wounded women and three wounded children together with their mothers
are in another room. A six-year child has an amputated leg, whereas another
one had his arm immobilized till recently.
Police, who have been on guard in shifts, have unrestricted access to all
parts of the hospital. Reportedly, they attempted to hand- cuff the wounded
Albanians who are being held under the status of detainees. Doctors reacted
to such an attempt, sources said.
Police have been harassing and threatening Albanian patients. In a couple
of occasions, police reportedly ordered that the wounded people be denied
their meals.
There are up to ten policemen in one shift inside the hospital and outside
it. They have recently been occupying upper stories, allegedly as a cover
from eventual attacks by the U^K (Kosova Liberation Army).
Patients and hospital staff have eye-witnessed horrendous scenes created by
police in the street just in front of the Lungs hospital in Dragodan
neighborhood.
Several police ill-treat routinely passers-bye in the street. The Albanians
are asked whether they are in possession of hard currency. Cars are
routinely stopped, and drivers and others harassed and beaten up.
Police threaten to rape Albanian girls An eye-witness described the
horrendous scene of Tuesday evening, 20 October. Around 18:45, four
policemen stopped two young Albanian girls, ill-treated and threatened them
barbarically, the eye- witness told the KIC on condition of anonymity.
The police were touching the girls with truncheons in all parts of the body,
offended and provoked them. The terrified girls were screaming for help,
the eye-witness said, because the policemen were threatening they would
rape the girls. This scene was being watched by two policemen and a
hospital guard from inside.
An Albanian hospital nurse rescued the girls, snatched them from Serb hands,
the eye-witness said, adding that the girls were then given a lift to their
homes by a doctor.
The medical staff of the Lungs Hospital have been crying foul over their
predicament, too. Policemen have not been sparing them of ill-treatment,
either. Drunken Serb policemen are there always to threaten Albanians
inside or near the hospital, situated in Dragodan, around 100 meters away
from the American Center in Prishtina.
International organizations could perhaps do something about their plight
in the hands of cruel Serb policemen.
Kosova Information Center
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