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Kosova Daily Report #1601, 98-11-02
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1601
Prishtina, 2 November 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Serb Forces Repositioning, Harassing Albanian Returnees
[02] Malisheva LDK Leaders Still in U^K Custody
[03] LDK Condemns Arrest, Calls for Immediate Release of Kastrati and
Desku
[04] Albanian Reveals Serb Police Pattern of Torture
[05] Serb Military and Police Shell Jabllanic& Village of Gjakova
[06] Serb Regime Court Sentences Four Albanians Sentenced to 5 1/2 Years
Imprisonment
[07] Albanian Killed in Unsolved Circumstances in Podujeva Area
[08] Police Brutalizes Two Albanians in Mitrovica
[01] Serb Forces Repositioning, Harassing Albanian Returnees
PRISHTINA, Nov 2 (KIC) - Sources in many Kosova municipalities said Serb
forces have been repositioning and regrouping, but not leaving the area.
Moreover, in some areas the Serb presence is almost the same as one month
ago. Serb forces take pains, though, to avoid being seen by foreign
observers.
Malisheva: The local LDK Information Commission reported increased Serb
troop movements in the town of Malisheva and the surrounding villages.
Heavy Serb forces backed with artillery and armored vehicles, positioned at
a location called "Pishat e Llazic&s" (Lazica pinewood), have been
intimidating the local population and preventing the uprooted Albanians
from returning to their villages.
Lipjan: Fresh Serb troops backed up by heavy armament have been deployed
over the past few days at Lipovica holiday resort. A resident of V&rshec
village told the KIC that Serb police patrols moving continuously on the 12
kilometer Magura-Shala roadway have been harassing the local population and
the returning refuges. The V&rshec village was almost completely razed,
with only a couple of houses having survived the shelling in late summer.
Klina: Serb forces have been further digging in and camouflaging around
Albanian communities in Klina municipality, local sources said.
A local LDK activist in Sferka village told the KIC today that additional
Serb troops backed up by heavy armament were deployed around the Volljaka
bauxite mines. From 19:00 through 21:00 last night, Serb forces manning a
couple of posts there sprayed the outlying villages with machine-gun fire,
he said.
He noted that last Friday four villagers of Sferka - Bislim Kolludra, Isa
Kolludra, Fatmir Kolludra and Agron Kolludra - were prevented from entering
into their village. Serb forces opened fire in their direction when they
tried to go back to their homes.
Istog: Serb policemen manning several checkpoints and patrols in the area
have been harassing and intimidating the local Albanian population, the LDK
chapter in Istog.
A large number of Serb troops who retreated from the Dubrava penitentiary
have been garrisoned in the buildings of an old police station at Rakosh.
At least 30 Serb policemen have been garrisoned in the schoolhouse in
Lubozhda village. The Serb policemen, during the evening hours in
particular, have been brutalizing the local Albanian population.
Uk& Balaj and Bajram Bajramaj, from Lluga village, and Nimon Gashi from
Prigoda, were brutally beaten by the Serb police when passed along the
school.
Around 150 Serb policemen and members of paramilitary gangs have been
garrisoned in the premises of the "Buducnost" agricultural cooperative in
Gjurakovc, the LDK chapter said.
[02] Malisheva LDK Leaders Still in U^K Custody
PRISHTINA, Nov 2 (KIC) - Jakup Kastrati, chairman, and Cen Desku, member of
the LDK chapter presidency in Malisheva are being held under U^K arrest.
The local LDK leaders were arrested on 30 October, but there has been no
explanation yet on the motive for their arrest and why they continue being
in U^K custody.
The local Albanian population in the municipality of Malisheva is outraged
by this move on the behalf of the U^K, the local LDK sources said.
The families of Mr Kastrati and Mr. Desku are fearful about their fate,
they added.
[03] LDK Condemns Arrest, Calls for Immediate Release of Kastrati and
Desku
PRISHTINA, Nov 2 (KIC) - The Presidency of the Democratic League of Kosova
(LDK), President Ibrahim Rugova's party, received with indignation the news
on the arrest by an U^K (Kosova Liberation Army) group of two local LDK
leaders in Malisheva, Jakup Kastrati and Cen Desku, who were engaged in
their political activities when this happened, the LDK said in a statement
today.
The two local LDK officials were arrested in Malisheva on 30 October.
"Such a move, which is now becoming a common occurrence, is unacceptable,
absurd, and damaging", the Presidency of the LDK said.
It is unacceptable now that a genuine unity of purpose is needed to arrest
people and obstruct the political activities of local leaders of such an
political forces in the national movement, such as the LDK, the party
leadership said. "It only fosters disunity" amongst the Albanians, it
added.
Nobody has the right to obstruct the organized political activities
channelled on "the sacred national cause", the LDK said.
"The LDK Presidency calls for an immediate release of Jakup Kastrati and
Cen& Desku, as well as for them to be allowed to freely go on with their
political and national activity", the statement of the LDK concluded.
[04] Albanian Reveals Serb Police Pattern of Torture
"The police put a stone in my mouth, then started to hit me in the face,"
told Ali Kabashi, 70, the Associated Press. "They poured petrol on me and
threatened to set me on fire," he said.
PRISHTINA, Nov 2 (KIC) - An old man in a black coat ambled by, clutching a
bag of grapes in his right hand. He (the Albanian) had been captured by
police and held for weeks, and was only recently released, the Associated
Press (AP) wrote from Opterusha village of Rahovec, Kosova, describing the
fate of residents returning to their devastated village.
This is how AP went on to convey the old man's plight and the pattern of
Serbian forces' torture: "His (the Albanian's) forehead wrinkled as he
stared ahead while answering questions. A small crowd of neighbors, most of
them teen-age boys, gathered around to listen.
"The police put a stone in my mouth, then started to hit me in the face,"
began Ali Kabashi, 70. "The stone was so I couldn't shout when they burned
my leg with wood."
He raised his right pants leg to show red marks on the calf, then unbuckled
his belt to drop his pants and show more wounds on his thigh.
"They poured petrol on me and threatened to set me on fire," he said.
"I tried to escape so they would kill me immediately. One hit me and I lost
consciousness."
The police wanted to know about ethnic Albanian guerrillas, Kabashi said.
As they tortured him, he said, they kept repeating that he knew who the
guerrillas were, and that his son was one."
[05] Serb Military and Police Shell Jabllanic& Village of Gjakova
PRISHTINA, Nov 2 (KIC) - The village of Jabllanic&, municipality of Gjakova,
has been shelled sporadically in the past three days by Serb military and
police troops.
The Serbs shelled the village from 22:00 on Sunday through the morning
hours on Monday, local sources said. They were firing from their positions
in Gllogjan village of Peja, the Naznik village of De^an, as well as
Volljak& village of Klina.
Meanwhile, sources said Serb military forces have not withdrawn from the
village of Demjan in the Hasi region of Gjakova.
Serb military forces backed up with combat arsenal were stationed in the
local elementary schoolyard on 22 June. The 300 Albanian schoolchildren
have not started school there yet.
Serb soldiers have been occupying the houses of Bali Brati and Isa Pnishi.
The Albanian families were forced to evacuate their homes.
[06] Serb Regime Court Sentences Four Albanians Sentenced to 5 1/2 Years
Imprisonment
PRISHTINA, Nov 2 (KIC) - Four Albanians were sentenced today to 5 1/5 years
in prison on Serb regime trumped up charges of terrorist activities, the
LDK Information Commission in Peja said.
Haki I. Begolli (1975) and Arsim A. Kurteshi (1977) were sentenced to 2
years in prison each, Blerim A. Kullashi (1977) to one year, and Dardan Sh.
Murati (1978) to six months in prison.
Albanians prosecuted for their political beliefs are routinely branded
terrorists by the Serb occupying authorities.
[07] Albanian Killed in Unsolved Circumstances in Podujeva Area
PRISHTINA, Nov 2 (KIC) - On Saturday evening, Ragip Ibrahimi (39), resident
of Halabak village of Podujeva was killed near the village of Rep&, around
25 km away from home.
The circumstances of the death of Ibrahimi, a cattle trader, have not been
made known yet.
[08] Police Brutalizes Two Albanians in Mitrovica
PRISHTINA, Nov 2 (KIC) - On Sunday evening, some fifteen Serb policemen
brutalized two Albanians, Sami S. Neziri (24) from Ka^anoll village, and
Nazmi Ferizi (25) from Mitrovica, near a gas station in Shupkovc village,
local LDK sources said.
The Serb policemen had camouflaged faces, and were equipped with an APC and
machine-guns there.
The two young Albanians were brutally beaten for an hour before being let
free.
Kosova Information Center
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