KOSOVA COMMUNICATION #216

From: Kosova Information Centre <kosova@gn.apc.org>

  • [01] Athens can encourage Albanian-Serbian dialogue

  • [02] Meksi discussed Kosova in Moscow

  • [03] LDK Leaders Receive Russian Officials

  • [04] Serbian Police Torture Albanian to Death

  • [05] European Parliament on Kosova

  • [06] European Official Prevented from Visiting Kosova

  • [07] Report on Serbian Violence in Kosova

  • [08] Albanian Forcibly Evicted From Home

  • [09] Emancipation of Kosova Blocked

  • [10] Serbian Parliament argue over Kosova

  • [11] News in Brief

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    KOSOVA COMMUNICATION

    Bulletin of the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Kosova

    4th year; No 216; 18 April 1995

    In a statement given on 8 April to the Greek official press agency, Ana', the President of the Republic of Albania , Sali Berisha said that Athens, who has a privileged relationship with Belgrade, could encourage the Serbian President Milosevic to start dialogue with Ibrahim Rugova, leader of the Kosova Albanians. Pointing out that the tension in that region represents a threat for the entire Balkans, the Albanian President stated that he wants a democratic solution to the Albanian problem. He also said that Albanian-Serbian co-operation will be tested in the future. On his return from his visit to Moscow, on 12 April, Alexander Meksi, Albanian Prime Minister, in a statement to Albanian Radio Television said that he had discussed with Russian authorities, along issues such as European Security, relations with NATO, co-operation within Black Sea initiative , the crisis in Balkans and solution of the Kosova issue. The vice-chairmen of the Democratic League of Kosova, Dr. Fehmi Agani and Hydajet Hyseni, received today in Prishtina Viatcheslav S. Talonin, counsellor (Chief of the Political Division) and Sergey S. Chetverikov, counsellor of the Russian Embassy In Belgrade. LDK leaders informed the Russian Embassy Officials about the grave situation in Kosova, which has been deteriorating amid the mounting Serbian regime's repression against the Albanians. The possibility of starting an Albanian-Serbian dialogue to ensure a just solution for Kosova and averting a conflict was also discussed. On 13 April , an officer of the Serbian police told the Ahmeti family that a member of their family, Abedin Azem Ahmeti (35), from the Zhabari i Eperm village of Mitrovica, died in the Serbian police station in Mitrovica. The Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) reported today that three Serbian police inspectors arrested Abedin Ahmeti at his home on 12 April around 19:00 hrs. He was held in police custody till 21:00 hrs that day. The police brought him back home unconscious, to only rearrest him fifteen minutes later and then remmand him in police custody for the second time till 23:00, when he was then returned home. After midnight, around 01:00 hrs on 13 April, the Serbian police took him to the police station for the third time, and from there, now dead, to the Mitrovica Hospital. The Serbian official who broke the news to the family did not specify the cause of Abedin's death under Serbian police custody. Eye-witnesses told CDHRF there were wounds and hematomas on the body of the victim. The pretext of the consecutive arrests, which ended fatally for Abedin Ahmeti, has not been announced. Speaking on the conflict in former Yugoslavia on the plenary session of European Parliament in Strasbourg, Hans Van den Bruk , EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs said that it was very concerning in the way that Albanians in Kosova, Hungarians in Vojvodina and Muslims in Sandjak were treated. If Milosevic was preoccupied with the well being of Albanians and Hungarians the same way as he is for Serbs in Croatia and Bosnia, the solutions would be closer, said Mr Van den Bruk. Speaking in the European Parliament Committee for Foreign Policy and Security on 11 April, Mr. Van den Bruk stated that if Milosevic wished for Serbs from Croatia and Bosnia to unite with Serbia, than the vast majority of Albanians in Kosova would require unification with Albania. David Atkinson, chairman of the EC Committee for relations with non-member countries, and a member of the British Parliament, has postponed a visit to Kosova, which was due to start on 11 April, because the Embassy of the self-styled Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) in London has refused to grant both himself and his assistant entry visas. Andrew Hull, Mr. Atkinson's assistant, said that "we wanted to verify myriad reports about the violation of human rights of the Albanians in Kosova." The monthly (March 1995) report issued by the Prishtina-based Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) says that the Serbian regime has scandalously stepped up its violence against the Albanian people in Kosova. At least 1,307 persons underwent Serbian police treatment, an ethnic Albanian, Ejup Kosumi (32) from Ferizaj was shot dead; 600 Albanians were arrested; 175 were subjected to physical torture; 240 Albanian homes were raided by the Serbian police; 102 political and humanitarian activists and 77 teachers were ill-treated, 15 Albanians were tried in Serbian military courts, the report says. Amongst the ill-treated persons there were 12 elderly persons, 21 children and 21 women. The report emphasizes that the Serbian police were particularly harsh in their raids on Albanian homes in connection with arms searches, saying that at least 611 Albanians underwent various forms of ill-treatment under such a pretext. The CDHRF report brings dozens of illustrative cases of Serbian police atrocities against persons of all ages and social status, including beatings of children and disabled persons, attempts of murder, detention, convictions, harassment of family members during Serbian police raids on Albanian homes, threats with liquidation's, ill-treatment of children, women, political activists, journalists, plundering of citizens, etc. Compared to the figures of the previous month, the CDHRF says there was a notable increase in repressive practices, in some cases being even 55 per cent higher, as it is with the number of arrested persons. On 11 April, Serbian police forcibly evicted the five-member family of Dr. Rasim Hoxha from their own house in the Ulpiana neighbourhood in Prishtina. Dr. Rasim Hoxha bought his house in 1981 from a Serb named Zika Jokanovic, who now lives in Belgrade, capital of Serbia, for DEM 400,000 and that all legal proceedings had been abided with in that he is in possession of the necessary documentation. The Belgrade based weekly Vreme recently organised a round table on Kosova which was reported in the 27 March issue. Sonia Biserko, a participant in the talks, amongst other things stated : the Serbian policies in Kosova were primarily in the function of anchoring a national project, which understands the loss of identity and blocking of any emancipation of Kosova. There is full segregation in Kosova, an apartheid of a special kind. Any talks with Albanians would be impossible before the repression is removed. The definitive solution of the Kosova issue, it seem, will require a very long time. In the mean time the presence of the international community in Kosova is imminent. The Serbian Parliament is discussing its Government's work over the past year. During the discussion there were several arguments on Kosova. The Chairman of the Socialist group of Kosova' , Vojislav Zivkovic, stated that during 1994 there was not a single inter-ethnic serious incident. He also accused Albanians of trying to organise serious terrorist attacks against the institutions", Jedinstvo, 10 April, writes. The Serbian Minister, Vekoslav Soseviq , who is also a "governor" of Kosova, admitted that a number of factories in Kosova are not working and that a number of factories and machinery have been transferred to Serbia for which he blamed previous governments. Albanians were blamed for the total failure of the economy of Kosova. He praised the integration of Kosova's companies with those of Serbia. He alleged that the big companies such as Trepga, Electroekonomia, Ferronikli and Sharri are restarting work. He also expressed self-satisfaction for the alleged growth of the Kosova economy by 117%. On 3 April, Serbian police entered the sports complex of Selami Hallagi Primary school interrupting a football mach, part of the event Goodwill 95'. They arrested the organiser of the match, Shemsedin Mustafa, who was previously sentenced to 20 days imprisonment by the Magistrates Court. The same Court ordered that he should serve the sentence immediately and announced the possibility that the sentence might be increased. On 7 April, Serbian police forces raided 14 Albanian-language schools in Gjakova and the surrounding villages, sources in Gjakova reported. The headmasters of all of the schools raided were summoned to report to the Gjakova police station. On 10 April, a Serbian army unit was stationed at the premises of the primary school in Jashanica near Klina. Similar forces were also seen in villages Pogragje, Gjurgjevik i Madh, Jellovc and Dush. In Malin and Gllareve even larger units were stationed, together with 60 military vehicles. On 11 April, Serbian police continued arresting Albanian youngsters who had deserted the former Yugoslav army. Lulezim Sahit Morina (1972) and Sahit Hajrush Hoti (1972) were arrested and taken to Prizren barracks. On 11 and 12 of April, at least 150 Serbian policemen surrounded Kaganik, raiding many homes and arresting 21 leaders of political parties and other local government officials. Among them was Berat Luzha, former political prisoner, member of LDK General Committee and member of the Kosova Parliament. On 12 April, Women Network, which members all women's associations in Kosova, organised a protest meeting against the police violence on the villages of Grejkoc and Bllace near Suhareka, and the recent questioning of Ajshe Gervalla and severe maltreatment of Naile Hoxha in Bllace. On 13 April in Landovica, Serbian installed management of the brick factory fired 60 Albanian workers. Many of them donated land plots to the factory so they could be employed there. In Gjakova, Serbian authorities are planing to give 500 plots in the neighbourhood Rezina to Serbian settlers. All the necessary documentation has been completed, only roads and electricity points need to be built, Jedinstvo writes. The paper also writes that for Serbian colonists 894 hectares of farming land is being planned. During the first quarter of this year, the Serbian financial police plundered 21,450.631 DM , Bujku reports Apparently they have found 1,664 legal irregularities'. It has banned further trading of 23 firms.
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