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@albanian.com / cdhrf@albanian.com
The institutionalised violence and terror of the Serbian regime against
the Albanians gained the dimensions of genocide · The NATO
bombing of Yugoslavia was used as a pretext for the ethnic cleansing
of Kosova, through killings, massacres and executions, through the
looting, destruction and burning of settlements and the mass deportation
of the Albanian population. Unarmed Albanian civilians were not spared
(including women, children, newly-born babies and the elderly).
It is supposed that some 11.000 Albanians were
killed between 1998-1999. CDHRF has managed to compile a list with
the names of 8911 Albanians, who were killed during this period (6691
in the course of 1999 and 2220 in the course of 1998). According to
the data available to the CDHRF 465 Serbs, Montenegrins and Roma
were killed in Kosova during the very same period.
The Serbian violence in Kosova, gained the
dimensions of genocide in the course of 1998 and the first 6 months
of 1999. This violence was stripped of basic human values and aimed
the extermination of the Albanians. The killings and the massacres,
which aimed the extermination of the Albanian population in Kosova,
unmasked the policy and the genocidal character of the
Serbian regime and state.
Death squads did not spare unarmed Albanian
civilians (including women, children, newly-born babies and the elderly).
In order to hide their crimes, Serbian forces burned the corpses of
their victims, unburied them and took them to unknown locations. There
are indications that the corpses of some of the killed were burned
in the furnaces of the "Trepça" mines, some were
thrown in water wells, in pits for slaking lime, in ravines or were
buried in mass graves. A large number of victims were left unburied
for months. 550 mass gravesites were discovered..
Between January 1 and December 31, 1999,
the CDHRF registered the following:
7156 persons were killed, of whom
6691 Albanians, of whom
859 women
553 children
1312 elderly
283 unidentified persons
465 Serbs, Montenegrins and other minorities, of whom
29 women
3 children
45 elderly
23 unidentified
The total number of the killed is supposed
to be at least 11.000. More than 2000 Albanians are imprisoned in
the prisons of Serbia and Vojvodina. The number of the missing and
the kidnapped is estimated to 4000. The CDHRF and the Sub-Councils
possess the lists with the names of the above mentioned. Serbian
policemen, soldiers and paramilitaries raped Albanian women in different
parts of Kosova.
The number of buildings, which were destroyed,
damaged or burned, is very high (including private houses and apartments,
shops and factories, schools and other educational, cultural and scientific
institutions, religious objects, historical and cultural monuments,
etc.). It is estimated that between March 1998 and June 1999, some
1100 Albanian settlements were burned and destroyed (partially or
completely); some 200.000 houses, apartments, workshops, factories,
schools, libraries, historical and cultural monuments, religious,
scientific and cultural objects were looted, burned and destroyed
(partially or completely).
In the course of 1999, CDHRF registered the
following: 6691 Albanians were killed and mutilated, of whom 859 women,
553 children, 1312 elderly. Out of the total number of the killed,
the identity of 218 could not be confirmed.
2220 persons were killed in the course of 1998.
The corpses and the skeletons of the killed are still being found
in different parts of Kosova.
The teams of the Hague Tribunal have stopped
their investigation of the crimes perpetrated in Kosova and the identification
of the killed due to the weather conditions. They are to continue
with their work in spring. The relatives of the victims continue to
search for their beloved ones, as there is a justifiable fear that
most of those who went missing during the conflict in Kosova (7000)
were executed.
According to the available data to the CDHRF
(which are still incomplete), some 3500 persons went missing or were
kidnapped by the Serbian forces. 1027 Albanians went missing or were
kidnapped in the municipality of Gjakova, 234 in Gllogoc, 209 in Mitrovica
(it is supposed that the number of those who went missing in Mitrovica
is about 400 (men, women, children and elderly). Yet, their identity
could not be confirmed as they were from the other parts of Kosova
and had sought shelter in Mitrovica during the war), 127 in Skënderaj,
125 in Deçan, 74 in Vushtrria, 52 in Malisheva, 32 in Obiliq,
28 in Prishtina, 17 in Kaçanik, 14 in Ferizaj, etc. According
to family members 146 Albanians, 12 Serbs and 4 Roma went missing
in the village of Krusha e Madhe near Rahovec, 82 Albanians went missing
in Klina and 14 in the village of Bukosh near Suhareka. 1085 persons
were reported missing in the other parts of Kosova.
During the very same period, 465 Serbs, Montenegrins
and other minorities were killed in Kosova, of whom 3 children, 29
women, 45 elderly and 23 persons whose identity could not be confirmed.
The Serbian violence in Kosova escalated after
the meeting between Holbrook and Milosevic The Serbian violence in
Kosova escalated in October 1998, after the meeting between Richard
Holbrook, the special representative of the President of the
USA, and Slobodan Milosevic, the President of Yugoslavia, as well
as the arrival of the OSCE Verification Mission in Kosova.
In the beginning of 1999, Serbian police and
military forces opened a 25 km front in the Llapi region, between
the villages of Lupç i Poshtëm and Peran near Podujeva.
These villages were attacked with tanks, heavy artillery, rockets,
etc. As a
consequence of these attacks some 45.000 Albanians were forced to
flee their homes. Due to the lack of food and medical assistance several
cases of death were reported.
During this period, the situation in the regions
engulfed by war was very grave. Many villagers in the municipality
of Klina were forced to flee their homes as well. Similar was the
situation in Drenica, Llapusha, Deçan, Reka e Keqe near Gjakova,
Suhareka, Prizren, Rahovec, Ferizaj, Shtime, Obiliq, Fushë Kosova,
etc. The civilians in the above mentioned regions were directly threatened
by the Serbian forces. Furthermore, the villagers of Shipitulla and
Graboc (in the municipality of Obiliq) could not return to their homes
for several months due to the large presence of Serbian forces.
The situation of the civilians was very grave.
They were facing different diseases due to the lack of food, medicine,
and other necessities. The situation was made even more difficult
due to the cold weather. During the months of January, February and
March 1999, large police, military and paramilitary forces as well
as heavy weaponry were deployed to Kosova.
In many parts of Kosova, local Serbs were mobilized
and weapons were distributed to them. Later on, the very same participated
in the crimes of the Serbian police and military forces against the
Albanians and their settlements. The Yugoslav army mined roads and
bridges and provoked incidents in order to terrorise the Albanian
civilians and to force them to flee their homes. Later on, these were
looted, burned and destroyed by Serbian policemen, soldiers and paramilitaries
as well as Serbian and Roma
civilians.
On January 19, an incident in the "Ura
e Gjakut" quarter in Mitrovica was used as a pretext for a huge
action of the Serbian forces against the inhabitants of the "Ura
e Gjakut" and "Bair" quarters, Shipol as well as the
villagers of Vaganica e Poshtme and Vaganica e Epërme. During
this action, 2 Albanians were killed and a large number were arrested,
ill-treated or went missing.
During the first 6 months of 1999, many villages
in the municipalities of Skënderaj, Gllogoc, Malisheva, Hani
i Elezit, Kaçanik, Rahovec, Klina, Gjakova, Deçan, Prizren,
Suhareka, Shtime, Lipjan, Podujeva, etc. were targeted as well. The
Serbian police and military forces shelled the Albanian villages on
a daily basis. Once the population fled, the houses were looted, burned
and destroyed. The killings, executions and the massacring of tens
of Albanian
families-including women, children and elderly
During the month of January 1999, 3 cases of
mass executions of Albanian civilians by the death squads of the Serbian
regime were registered in Kosova. On January 15, 51 Albanians were
massacred in Reçak. On January 24, 5 Albanians were killed
in Rakovina (including two children and one woman).
On January 29, 26 Albanians were massacred
in the village of Rogova near Gjakova. On January 15, 1999, Serbian
police, military and paramilitary forces as well as armed Serbian
civilians attacked the village of Reçak. Later on, large forces
entered the village massacring unarmed Albanian civilians (including
women and elderly, who could not flee). According to the eyewitnesses
who survived this massacre, many villagers were arrested and taken
in the direction of Shtime. Later on, they were massacred at the place
called "Kodra e Bebushit". Many of the killed were mutilated,
whereas Banush Azemi (63) was decapitated. After this tragedy, the
villagers of Reçak took the corpses of the massacred to the
local mosque. Yet, Serbian forces came, took the corpses from the
local mosque and sent them to the Forensic Institute in Prishtina,
allegedly to carry out the autopsy. The families of
the victims requested the help of the OSCE Verification Mission in
Kosova in getting the corpses back. Yet, Serbian authorities prevented
this. The families of the killed believed that the Serbian authorities
wanted to manipulate with the mutilated corpses of their relatives.
Furthermore, on being taken to Shtime several corpses were once again
returned to Prishtina. About a month
later, on February 11, the funeral of 40 of the killed took place.
The massacre in Rakovina occurred in the vicinity
of the Rakovina Bridge on the road between Prishtina and Gjakova,
on January 24, at about 9 p.m. Serbian police opened automatic fire
from an armoured car killing Shaban T. Kelmendi (45) and his children
Haxhi (11) and Besim Kelmendi (12) from Rakovina, as well as Hysen
and Sanije Kurti from Cërmjan. The five were
travelling in a tractor to the village of Cërmjan.
On January 29, Serbian police and military
forces massacred 26 Albanians in the village of Rogova near Gjakova.
According to the eyewitnesses who survived this massacre, at about
5.30 a.m., Serbian policemen, soldiers and paramilitaries besieged
the village, searched and demolished many houses. The terrified villagers
fled in all directions. Many were killed while doing so.
The Serbian regime exposed its true face and
its genocidal aims the moment it seemed that the Kosova crisis was
to be solved Serbian terror escalated and culminated, once it seemed
that the struggle of the Kosovars, led by the KLA, was leading towards
the solving of the Kosova issue, prior to and during the international
intervention for solving the Kosova issue in February and March 1999,
especially with the withdrawal of the OSCE Verification Mission in
Kosova and other international organizations, which were largely present
in Kosova until March 20, 1999. That
was the moment when the Serbian regime exposed its true face and its
genocidal aims for the ethnic cleansing of Kosova and for the extermination
of the Albanians in these territories.
On March 20, the day the international monitors
left Kosova, Serbian police, military and paramilitary forces arrested
hundreds of people and killed 30 Albanians in Skënderaj. On March
24, 1999, at about 5.15 p.m., once the NATO intervention was announced
(but prior to the attacks on the Serbian targets in Yugoslavia and
Kosova), 22 Albanians were executed by the Serbian forces in the village
of Kotlina near Kaçanik. Police threw the corpses of the killed
into a deep ravine in order to hide the traces of this crime.
The night between March 24-25, 1999, once the
NATO bombing started, members of the Serbian special police forces
in Prishtina arrested Bajram Kelmendi, a lawyer, member of the CDHRF
Board in Prishtina, and his two sons Kastriot, a student, and Kushtrim
Kelmendi, a pupil. The very same night, they were executed.
The night between March 24-25, 1999, Serbian
criminals killed Latif Berisha, a poet and a professor with the University
of Prishtina and chairman of the LDK branch in Mitrovica, Agim Hajrizi,
a well-known activist, chairman of the Assembly of the Independent
Trade Unions of Kosova, his son and his mother, as well as Enver Haliti,
an activist. In Gjakova, Serbian criminals burned the bazaar with
more than 300 shops, arrested and killed a large number of Albanian
youngsters, not even sparing the elderly, children and newly born
babies.
The very same night, Serbian policemen and
paramilitaries executed Dr. Izet Hima, a surgeon, and Avni Ferizi,
an academician. Their houses were burned and so was the atelier of
the latter. The exact number of the killed in Gjakova is unknown,
as there are still no information on the whereabouts of more than
1000 people, who went missing (whether they were executed or are alive
in the prisons of Serbia).
Killings, executions and massacres of the
Albanians throughout Kosova
The campaign of institutionalised state terror,
killings, massacres and executions engulfed the whole territory of
Kosova. Serbian policemen, soldiers and paramilitaries imposed free
reign violence and acted without any moral, human or legal responsibility.
They killed the young and the elderly, not even sparing children and
newly-born babies. They killed with or without a pretext. The only
reason to kill was because their victims were Albanians. The only
reason to do so was to make them flee Kosova (those who were not killed
or butchered). Only in the village of Krusha e Madhe near Rahovec,
204 Albanians were massacred, of whom172 could not be identified.
10 mass gravesites were identified in this village.
All these acts of barbarism were registered
in our reports (acts of the Serbian police, military and paramilitary
forces and unfortunately acts of local Serbian civilians who did not
hesitate to raise their arms against their Albanian neighbours, with
whom they have lived side by side for decades).
On March 28, 1999, 127 Albanian civilians were
killed in the village of Izbica near Skënderaj. An eyewitness,
who had survived this massacre, declared that Serbian soldiers came
to the village, separated men from women, lined them in groups of
3 and opened automatic fire. "When they opened fire, I hit the
ground pretending to be dead. Once they left, I crawled to the nearby
forest. All the others were killed", stated the villager.
On April 15, 1999, 18 Albanian civilians were
killed in the village of Sllovia near Lipjan. Another group of 17
Albanians, mainly from Sllovia, were killed at the place called "Lugu
i Demës". Eyewitnesses claim that these civilians were executed
by a paramilitary unit led by the criminal named Toshiq.
On April 17, 1999, 52 Albanian civilians, mainly
women, children and elderly, were executed in the village of Poklek
near Gllogoc. 21 children aged between 6 and 13 were killed in this
massacre. The very same day, the Vishesella family from the village
of Ribar i Vogël near Lipjan was massacred. A similar thing happened
to the Elshani, Llugani, Muçolli and Berisha families.
On April 18, 1999, the Serbian forces undertook
a wide campaign against the Albanian villagers of Hallaç, Ribar
i Vogël, Bujan, Bregu i Zi, Godanc i Poshtëm and Kraishta
near Lipjan. During that action, there were widespread lootings and
mass executions of Albanian citizens, including women children and
elderly. 13 members of Rexhep Vishesella's family were killed in the
village of Ribar i Poshtëm. The death squads were comprised of
Serbian paramilitaries in black uniforms and of policemen. These units
have executed people in their homes and house yards. They even used
dum-dum bullets. Prior to being executed, all valuables were looted
from the victims. 23 Albanians were executed in the village of Hallaç
and 19 in Ribar i Vogël. Many were killed in Kraishta and the
other attacked villages as well. Some 10.000 Albanians fled their
homes and sought shelter in the mountains of Varigoc and Zborc (with
no food and other basic necessities).
On April 20, 21 and 22, 1999, the Albanian
villagers of Grashtica near Prishtina were massacred. 8 members of
the Jakupi family from the village of Orllan near Podujeva were killed
a few days before the arrival of NATO troops to Kosova. The Bala family
from Peja was massacred on June 12, 1999, the day NATO troops entered
Kosova.
During the actions of the Serbian police, military
and paramilitary forces, many Albanian families were killed
and massacred throughout Kosova. Mass expulsions and deportations
- the final "cleansing" of Kosova Apart from torture, killings,
executions, massacres, the looting, burning and destruction of their
homes and property, the people of Kosova
experienced the forced expulsion, displacement and deportation from
their territories and the ethnic cleansing of Kosova. The numbers
and the statements of those expelled tell of the total cleansing of
many Albanian settlements in Kosova. The Albanian civilians who were
expelled on mass from Prishtina, Mitrovica, Suhareka, Rahovec, Ferizaj,
Shtimje, Kaçanik, Gjilan, Lipjan, Vushtrria, Gjakova, Peja,
etc., fled towards Kukës, the border with Macedonia and the regions
mainly inhabited by Albanians and Bosniacs in Montenegro.
Long queues of people on foot, by tractors
or by train were being deported from Kosova (persecuted by the Serbian
forces). Among those who fled, many were in age, ill or handicapped,
pregnant women, children or newly-born babies. These people travelled
for many kilometres in difficult weather conditions with memories
of the killed, who were left unburied, corpses thrown by the roads,
burning houses, etc. These were the things most of the deported experienced.
To those who fled to Macedonia Bllaca was the
place where they confronted death. Many among the elderly, children
and the ill, succumbed to fatigue, hunger and the cold. Bllaca was
a human catastrophe caused by the inhuman policy towards an unprotected
nation. The events in Bllaca were condemned by the international public
opinion.
According to the available data, 1 million
Albanians fled due to the Serbian terror: 450.000 to Albania, 240.000
to Macedonia, 64.500 to Montenegro, 18.500 to Bosnia, 15.000 to Turkey,
5-6000 to Croatia, 2500 to Bulgaria, etc. Most of the refugees stayed
in Albania or in Macedonia. Yet, a large number was transferred to
third countries, i.e. the USA, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Norway,
Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, etc.
With the end of the war and the arrival of
NATO troops in Kosova, most of the refugees returned spontaneously
to their homes not waiting for the organized return announced by international
humanitarian organizations and institutions. Many houses, apartments,
cultural and historical monuments were burned and destroyed throughout
Kosova - religious objects and leaders were not spared
Throughout Kosova, Serbian police, military
and paramilitary forces as well as Serbian and Roma civilians looted,
burned and destroyed Albanian houses, apartments, shops, religious
objects as well as cultural and historical objects. Personal documents
- ID cards, passports, registry books, and other documents were seized
and destroyed. International organizations have estimated that some
100.000 houses were burned and destroyed in Kosova (on average every
third house was made uninhabitable). The very same organizations believe
that some 250.000 people will spend this winter in very difficult
conditions.
Religious objects were not spared from the
looting, burning and destruction. A commission was established by
the Board of the Islamic Community in Kosova to assess the damages.
According to their data, 13 imams were killed and 14 pupils of the
Moslem religious secondary school and students of the Faculty of Islamic
Studies in Prishtina. During the war, Serbian police, military and
paramilitary forces as well as local Serbs damaged, burned or destroyed
209 mosques and other religious objects (including 5 in Serbia proper).
In Gjakova, Serbian criminals apart from the bazaar burned the "Hadumi"
mosque dating from the XVI century (one of the most beautiful objects
of Islamic Art in the Balkans) and the masjid with a very rich library
containing unique works in Albanian, Arabic, Persian and Turkish.
Mass graves cannot conceal the crimes
Serbian criminals, apart from their brutality
in killing, executing, massacring and torturing their victims, have
constantly made efforts to conceal their crimes by burying the corpses
of the killed and massacred, by removing them from one place to the
other, by throwing the corpses into water wells and ravines or by
burning them. Yet, the crimes in Kosova could not be concealed. 550
mass gravesites were identified in Kosova as well as thousands of
individual graves with the decomposed corpses and skeletonsthe victims
of the Serbian criminals, who continue to move freely throughout Kosova.
Many of the corpses cannot be identified. Yet, thanks to certain clothing
items, to the professional knowledge of the teams for the identification
of the killed and to information from the relatives of the executed
or the missing, the crimes of the Serbian criminals are being revealed.
The criminals cannot escape penal responsibility and the deserved
punishment for their crimes.
Mass gravesites were identified throughout
Kosova (in cemeteries, ravines, water wells, in pits for slaking lime,
in improvised crematoriums, in certain industrial objects, etc.).
Some of the crimes will never be revealed. Yet, the crimes that were
and are to be revealed with the exhumation of many corpses from mass
gravesites will expose the crimes the Belgrade regime tried to conceal.
In our reports, we have identified mass gravesites in the villages
of Gushavc, Suhadoll i Poshtëm, Suhadoll i Epërm, Shupkoc,
Vaganica and Vërnica in the municipality of Mitrovica. In the
village of Vidimriq near Mitrovica, French soldiers buried the corpses
of 11 Albanians, who were killed by the Serbian forces. 15 Albanians,
who were killed by the Serbian forces, were buried in the "Tavnik"
quarter in Mitrovica. It is believed that there are mass gravesites
in the villages of Bugariq, Baran and Koshtova e Bobit as well.
Mass gravesites were identified in the fields
of Ymer Bala near the "Ibër Lepenc" hydro-system and
the fields of Xhevat Gashi in Dardhishta near Obiliq. Different items
were found in the house of Rexhep Zeqir Kurteshi (68) in the "Qendra"
quarter in
Mitrovica. These items show that the Serbian police, military and
paramilitary forces killed, executed and massacred Albanian civilians
and probably raped Albanian women in the very center of Mitrovica.
The very same happened in Gjakova, Peja and other towns and villages
throughout Kosova. A mass grave was identified at the place called
"Tauk bahçe" in the suburbs of
Prishtina. It is believed that there is another mass grave in the
Albanian cemetery in Prishtina. Roma civilians were ordered by the
Serbian police to bury Albanian civilians in these mass graves.
The situation of the Albanian prisoners
continues to be very grave
The 1244 resolution of the UN Security Council
and the military agreement between NATO and the Yugoslav Army, which
was reached on June 1999, did not include the release of the Albanian
prisoners. This enabled the Belgrade regime to keep some 7000 Albanians
in detention and by doing so to blackmail the people of Kosova and
to keep them under constant strain. The situation of the detained
Albanians is very grave and getting worse. The Albanian prisoners
in Nish, Pozharevc, Leskovc, Prokuple, Vranje, Mitrovica e Sremit,
etc., are subjected to torture and are confronted with death. The
prisoners receive an insufficient amount of food. They do not receive
any medicine or medical assistance. They are ill-treated by prison
guards and policemen as well as by Serbian deserters and ordinary
criminals.
On August 11, 1999, the corpses of Sali Kurtaj
(48) from Gjilan and Tefik Saliu (1926) from Ferizaj, who were killed
in the Belgrade prison, were brought to Kosova. Muhamet
Basha (66) from the village of Vraniq died in the prison in Prokuple,
whereas, Sadik Jahir Agushi (1958) from the village of Drenoc near
Klina died in the prison of Mitrovica e Sremit. Zeqë Adem Hasaj
(1953) from the village of Kodralia near Deçan died a week
after being released from the prison in Zajeçar. Zeqa died
due to the injuries suffered while being tortured in prison.
The Humanitarian Law Fund based in Belgrade
informed the public opinion on the fact that there are many Albanian
juveniles in the prisons of Serbia accused for "terrorism"
and that pregnant women have given births while in prison. In order
to justify the keeping in detention of so many people, Serbian authorities
bring Albanian prisoners to court and sentence them to many years
of prison for "terrorism" and "subversive activity",
despite the fact that most of them were arrested in their homes or
house yards. Among the sentenced "terrorists" is Dr. Flora
Brovina, a poetess, physician and humanitarian activist. She was sentenced
to 12 years of imprisonment because of offering medical assistance
to those wounded and distributing aid to children and the handicapped.
Many international organizations demanded the release of Flora Brovina,
including the Swedish Government. While in court, Flora Brovina stated
that if free she would again do the same, she would offer medical
and humanitarian assistance to all, Serbian children, Roma, etc. After
the arrival of KFOR troops the scale of violence decreased-Yet, the
situation in Mitrovica, Anamorava and Rahovec continues to be tense
Since June 12, 1999 and the arrival of KFOR
troops in Kosova, the scale of violence as well as that of human rights
abuses in Kosova have decreased. Yet, there are still many criminal
acts with tragic consequences. During this period, more than 400 killings
were reported as well as many cases of wounding. Many were killed
and wounded in mine accidents as well. The gravest problems are in
Mitrovica, where the local Serbs, who have concentrated in the northern
part of the town, have blocked this partof the town preventing the
Albanians from returning to their homes. The situation is made worse
by the negligence of the French forces in Mitrovica. The situation
continues to be tense in the region of Anamorava and in the municipalities
of Kamenica and Malisheva (in which Russian soldiers are stationed).
Albanian citizens have prevented the deployment of Russian soldiers
in Rahovec, due to the participation of Russian mercenaries in the
atrocities against the Albanians throughout Kosova.
In many municipalities throughout Kosova, the
identities of the policemen, soldiers and paramilitaries, who have
committed grave crimes, have been revealed. 1426 persons were identified
(mainly Serbs and Montenegrins), who were implicated in the killings
of the Albanians, the looting, burning and destruction of their houses
and property. Many indicted war criminals have returned to Kosova
(4 in the northern part of Mitrovica), 1 in Lipjan, whereas, a number
of others are hiding in the villages of the municipality of Lipjan.
Dutch soldiers have arrested a Serb indicted
by the Hague Tribunal for crimes in the municipality of Rahovec. KFOR
troops in the other parts of Kosova have also started arresting those
indicted for war crimes. In the northern part of Mitrovica, as well
as in the neighbouring villages, Serbian and Roma civilians as well
as Serbian paramilitaries continue to ill-treat Albanian citizens,
even in the presence of French soldiers. In several villages, cases
were reported when Serbs opened fire towards Albanian houses.
On July 1, Veli Feriz Sadiku (66) and his son
Avdi (43) from the village of Gushavc near Mitrovica were attacked
with metal bars by a group of Serbian civilians, in the vicinity of
the Ibri Bridge. On July 3, in the vicinity of the Ibri Bridge, a
group of Serbian civilians led by Slavko Mandiq and a person named
Qulle beat an Albanian citizen in the presence of French soldiers.
On July 7, Serbian civilians and paramilitaries
beat Mevlude Aziz Barani (40) from the "Qendra" quarter,
Refiqe Sejdiu (30) from the "Kodra e Minatorëve" quarter,
Rabë Mehmeti (40) from Shipol, and Ejup Hamit Peci (56) from
Rahova. On July 11, 2 armed Serbian civilians wearing masks stopped
Arsim Isa Peci and Naser Jetullah Peci (44) from the village of Zhazha.
On July 12, local Serbs from the village of Suhadoll opened fire towards
the Albanian houses in Gushavc. On July 30, at about 2 p.m., a group
of Serbian hooligans attacked the bus carrying the medical staff of
the Mitrovica Hospital. Nurses Lirie Faik Bajraktari (38) and Shukrie
Nezir Rudari (43) were injured. At about 3 p.m., a group of Serbian
hooligans severely ill-treated Burhan Baliqi, a Bosniac living in
the "Ibri" quarter.
On August 6, the Albanian medical staff of
the Mitrovica Hospital was prevented by the Serbs working there as
well as armed Serbian paramilitaries from entering the building. On
August 10, at about 9 p.m., there were two powerful blasts in Mitrovica.
Serbian civilians and paramilitaries led by spouses Ivica and Mira
Ivanoviq, Lila and Damir Gashi entered the Albanian flats in the "Ibri"
and "Kodra e Minatorëve" quarters, physically ill-treating
and evicting the inhabitants. Ismet Qamil Kurti (48), Arta Ismet Kurti
(21), Zelan Hazir Kurti (44), Sitrie (40), Gjylsym (38), and Sazan
Shyqyri Koca (37), Xhevdet Kalludra(53), Ibrahim Hasan Vitaku (44),
Arife Osmani and Qani Osmani suffered heavy injuries. On August 26,
at about 11 p.m., 3 armed Serbs tried to kidnap Hetem Beqiri (16)
from the "Tavnik" quarter. The incident occurred in the
"2 Korriku" quarter in Mitrovica. On August 29, at about
12.30 p.m., 5 armed Serbs and 4 Roma stopped Agron Behlul Spahiu (27)
from the village of Kastriot near Skënderaj, while going to his
flat in the northern part of Mitrovica. Agron was attacked with knives
and beaten until he fainted.
On August 31, at about 9.30 p.m., there were
4 explosions in the northern part of Mitrovica. The explosions occurred
as many Albanian families decided to return to their homes in the
northern part of the town and KFOR troops had started an operation
for the return of 136 families in the "Kroi i Vitakut" quarter.
Provocations and incidents in other parts
of Kosova
Provocations and incidents, ill-treatments
and random shooting by Serbian civilians and paramilitaries have continued
in different parts of Kosova. Since the arrival of KFOR troops, many
incidents were reported on the road between Gjilan and Kamenica as
well as other local roads connecting the villages in this region.
Serbian civilians opened fire towards cars and passers-by. Russian
forces did not prevent such actions.
On August 14, the meeting between the villagers
of Plemetin and the mayor of Obiliq was not held, as Serbian civilians
locked the premises of the "Pandeli Sotiri" primary school.
Despite the arrival of KFOR troops, the Serbs did not unlock the school
(Serbian and Albanian pupils are supposed to use the same school building).
The next day, a group of 30 Serbian and Roma civilians, who were travelling
in tractors, provoked Albanian villagers by shouting "Zivela
Srbija". There is only a small number of Albanians living in
the village of Plemetin. There are many policemen and paramilitaries
among the Serbian civilians.
Many Albanians are ill-treated by French and Russian soldiers
Many provocations and ill-treatments of Albanian
civilians involving French and Russian soldiers were reported. On
August 7, French soldiers ill-treated a number of Albanians who were
trying to go to their homes in the northern part of Mitrovica. On
July 18, 6 French soldiers stopped and severely ill-treated a group
of 6 Albanian youngsters in the Roma quarter in Mitrovica. Burim Behxhet
Brahimi (20) from the village of Koshtova e Bobit and Naim Deli Deliu
(18) from the "Tavnik" quarter in Mitrovica suffered injuries.
On August 2, a large number of French soldiers
and policemen raided all the houses in the village of Oshlan near
Vushtrria. On August 7, French soldiers and the gendarmerie physically
ill-treated a large number of Albanians who were trying to return
to their homes in the northern part of the town. The following suffered
severe body injuries: Besire Sejdiu (42) from the "Qendra"
quarter, Naser Ramadan Aloqi (36) and Veton Hamit Baruti (44) from
the "Ibri" quarter, Sami Sadiku (22) and Nerxhivane Aziz
Nimani (30) from the "Tavnik" quarter, Ramadan Hysen Istrefi
(50) and Agron Avdyli (33) from the "Kroi i Vitakut" quarter,
Hajrullah Hysen Skuroshi (32) from "Tuneli i Parë",
Musa Tahiri (18) from Stantërg, Hamdi Kajtaz Sheremeti (24) from
the village of Oshlan near Vushtrria, Sherif Meholli (38) from Melenica,
Afrim Arifi (28) from Pantina, Afrim Tafil Osmani (32) from the village
of Dolak near Vushtrria, etc. On August 29, 3 French soldiers severely
ill-treated Hysni Ferat Muja (21) andEsat Januz Musliu (16) from the
"Tavnik" quarter.
On August 9, at about 5 a.m., an armoured car
full of Russian soldiers stopped in front of the house of Shefik Halil
Hoda in the village of Koretin near Kamenica. The Russian soldiers
went into the house yard. As Shefik came out of the house, he was
hit with a rifle butt on his head and suffered heavy injuries. Shefik's
son Ruzhdi was also attacked while trying to help his father. Later
on, Russian soldiers searched the house terrifying family members,
especially children. A Russian soldier hit Shefik's wife with the
rifle butt. During the incident, Ruzhdi was threatened with a gun.
Russian soldiers stole 100 boxes of cigarettes and arrested Shefik.
He was taken to the Russian base in Kamenica and kept there until
8 a.m.
Brutal anti-Albanian campaign in Presheva,
Bujanoc and Medvegja
The deportation and the expulsion of the Albanians
from the municipalities of Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja (in Serbia
proper) continues as a consequence of the free reign violence of the
Serbian police, military and paramilitary forces stationed in the
villages on the border between Kosova and Serbia (contrary to the
military agreement signed in Kumanova between NATO and the Yugoslav
army, which envisages that a buffer zone is to be established 5 km
from the border of Kosova, article 1, para. 3e and 4a). Many cases
of looting as well as of usurpation of Albanian houses, apartments
and shops were reported.
Violence against non-Albanians
Many cases of attacks against Serbs and other
non-Albanians were reported (lootings, evictions and burning of Serbian
houses). On July 26, Biserka Aleksa Vasiq (1931), a pensioner from
the village of Orllan near Podujeva, living in "Vuk Karaxhiq"
st. 4 in Prishtina, stated to the CDHRF that unidentified persons
killed her son Lubisha Vasiq (40), a worker with the local water supply.
Biserka stated that her son was not mobilized and did not participate
in the war and that he had no problems with anyone.
On August 13, unidentified persons went into
her garage and took her refrigerator and washing machine.
On August 18, a CDHRF delegation paid a visit
to the Roma camp in the village of Dardhishta near Obiliq. 1230 Roma
from Prishtina and the villages of Fushë Kosova, Obiliq, Lipjan
and Shtime are settled in this camp. They stated to the CDHRF that
they were evicted by force from their homes. A number of them stated
that they were physically ill-treated by the Albanians. One of the
interviewed stated that during the NATO air attacks on the Serbian
positions in Kosova, many Roma came from Nish, Leskovc and other towns
in Serbia to loot in Kosova. Many Roma were forced by the Serbian
police, military and paramilitary forces to "help" in looting
the property of the Albanians, in killing them and in burying those
killed. Yet, a number of Roma from Podujeva and the nearby villages
fled together with the Albanian population during the Serbian attacks.
Nowadays, they have noproblems and no one harasses them. Despite the
killings and kidnappings the situation has started to improve Recently,
the situation in Kosova has started to improve despite the killings,
kidnappings and the mine accidents in many parts of Kosova.
During the last 3 months, 73 violent deaths
were registered in Kosova (of whom 41 were Albanians, 18 Serbs, 1
Roma and 13 persons whose identity could not be confirmed). In the
northern part of Mitrovica, Sevdie Xh. Ujkani (34) and her daughter
Edona Ujkani (11), a pupil, were hit by a car and killed. The driver
was a Serb. Many were killed and wounded in mine accidents, Albanians,
Serbs as well as KFOR soldiers. One of the gravest cases was the killing
of Valentin Krumov, an employee with the UNMIK Civil Administration
in Kosova. The killing was condemned as a grave crime, which seeks
to destabilize the situation in Kosova. Several cases of kidnappings
or attempted kidnappings were reported in this period. These have
caused grave concern among the population.
A girl was kidnapped and the attempted kidnapping
of two others was reported. Teki Bokshi, a lawyer from Gjakova, was
kidnapped in the vicinity of Belgrade. His family was forced to pay
a ransom of DM 100.000. The tensions in Kosova are being kept high
because of the situation in Mitrovica, where the Albanians cannot
return to their homes, schools and jobs. It is difficult to believe
that there shall be peace in Kosova while thousands of Albanians are
still being kept in the prisons of Serbia. Protests are being held
throughout Kosova demanding their release.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the Serbian
police, military and paramilitary forces, prior to the NATO attacks,
made efforts to prevent the activities of the CDHRF based in Prishtina.
The communication between the main office of the CDHRF and its field
associates was interrupted. Many activists of the CDHRF were arrested
and killed, including Bajram Kelmendi, a member of the CDHRF Board,
and his two sons, Gafurr Loku, vice-chairman of the Sub-CDHRF in Hani
i Elezit, Xhevdet Leci, member of the board of the Sub-CDHRF in Prishtina,
Rexhep Bislimi, Remzi Ademi, etc. The work of the CDHRF was practically
blocked. Yet, several Sub-Councils continued with their activity informing
the international public opinion on the events in Kosova. As most
of the CDHRF staff was forcibly deported to Macedonia, it continued
its activity there, gathering data on the atrocities of the Serbian
police, military and paramilitary forces in Kosova. Prishtina, February
3, 2000 Information Service