Kosova Daily Report #1322, 98-01-19

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

Kosova Information Center

KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1322

Prishtina, 19 January 1998

CONTENTS

[01] President Rugova Receives a Delegation of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

[02] Adem Dema^i, PPK Candidate for Kosova's President

[03] Kosova and Albania Sign Bilateral Agreement

[04] Albanian Wounded by a Serbian Customs Officer Dies at Prishtina Hospital

[05] Albanian Charged for Terrorism Gets 3 Year Sentence for Illegal Arms Possession

[06] Serb Police Beats Bujku Reporter in Podujeva

[07] Albanian Abducted by Unidentified Men Returns Home After Six Days

[01] President Rugova Receives a Delegation of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

The current situation in Kosova was discussed in the meeting.

President Rugova said the Serbian regime campaign of violence and repression goes unabated. Nevertheless, the people of Kosova have engaged in a non-violent resistance, and they remain committed to peaceful devices in their strive for independence and democratization of Kosova, through the building of their independent and democratic institutions, Dr. Rugova emphasized.

The IHF Executive Director, Dr. Aaron Rhodes spoke of the efforts the organization has been making in increasing the attention and the awareness of the international community on Kosova.

President Rugova said he was appreciative of the efforts and the role of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights in bringing the plight of Kosova to the attention of the international fora and the public at large.

[02] Adem Dema^i, PPK Candidate for Kosova's President

A statement of the PPK issued today said that Adem Dema^i will be the only presidential candidate of the Parliamentary Party of Kosova.

Adem Dema^i (61) has for his political beliefs served over 28 years in prison during the communist Yugoslavia.

In end 1996 he was elected the chairman of the Parliamentary Party of Kosova.

[03] Kosova and Albania Sign Bilateral Agreement

The agreement anticipates advancement of educational and cultural ties between Kosova and Albania.

[04] Albanian Wounded by a Serbian Customs Officer Dies at Prishtina Hospital

Mr. Fazliu, a taxi driver, was shot at and wounded seriously at a taxi stand near the former Bank of Ljubljana.

Fazliu's family told KIC the nest day that the Serbian customs officer shot at Ali Fazliu in his car while parked. The Serbian customs officer had demanded from Mr. Fazliu to remove the car.

Since he refused to do so, the Serb got his revolver out and shot at him, leaving him wounded seriously.

Mr. Fazli died yesterday in the Prishtina hospital.

The Albanian taxi drivers in Prishtina have gone on strike yesterday and today, as a sign of solidarity with their colleague, protesting at the same time over the insecurity and the threat they are facing from Serb residents in town.

[05] Albanian Charged for Terrorism Gets 3 Year Sentence for Illegal Arms Possession

Gani Thaqi, from Broja village of Skenderaj, central Kosova, was indicted by the Serb regime for alleged "hostile activity and terrorism' but was instead sentenced for illegal arms possession as the court could not present proof in support of the indictment.

Gani Thaqi was abducted by the Serbian police officers in plain clothes in the very town center of Skenderaj on 30 September 1997.

He was held incommunicado in unknown places for 18 days, whereas the Serb police authorities denied during the whole time he was kept in their custody.

Gani Thaqi denied the charges during his trial. The only witness heard in the courtroom, Besim Rama, has said he did not know the defendant and that he had never met him. (Besim Rama has been sentenced himself to 20-year- long prison sentence last December).

[06] Serb Police Beats Bujku Reporter in Podujeva

Bujku said Fadil Halimi was ill-treated for about two hours at a caf‚ in Podujeva. He was intimidated in connection with his reporting from the area.

[07] Albanian Abducted by Unidentified Men Returns Home After Six Days

As reported, last Monday morning the wet coat of Remzi Re^ica with a note in Serbian on top of it was found in front a friend of his, Ismail Kosumi a rescue-diver. The note in Serbian said the body of Remzi Re^ica could be found in Badovci lake outside Prishtina.

Later on, a man speaking in a bad Albanian with lots of Serb words, phoned twice the family of Remzi Re^ica telling his daughter that "her father was killed in the Badovci Lake".

The Re^ica family notified the police about the phone calls but the police said they had no information about it and that Remzi Re^ica was not being held in custody.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday man phoned the family of Remzi Re^ica twice.

Speaking in Serbian he only repeated the same phrase: "On je ziv" (He is alive).

The Bujku newspaper has quoted today Remzi Re^ica as saying that he was held in a place unfamiliar to him and that during the whole time he was maltreated by unknown persons. He said that last Monday morning unidentified armed men in old army uniforms abducted him in front of his apartment in Prishtina. After having covered his eyes with adhesive tape they forced him in a car which drove to unknown direction. He was taken near the Badovci lake where the kidnappers threatened to kill him if he did not tell where he had hid the money from the house he had sold earlier. "Amidst critical threats, I told them that the money was hidden in my old house not very far from the place. We went there and they took the 21 400 DM which was hidden there", Re^ica said.

Remzi Re^ica said that he was forced to write himself the note in Serbian which was sent to his front Ismail Kosumi. "I remember they covered my eyes again and we drove for quite a long time. My hands were cuffed with old hand-cuffs. The next day, an old woman offered me a mobile phone. I could only tell my family in Serbian that I was alive, she told me", Re^ica said.

Remzi Re^ica said that during the whole time he was tortured and intimidated. He was given to eat only few times. "The even offered me to eat some food they had urinated in it" he said.

He said that on Friday he did not hear any voices around the cottage he was kept, so he realized ho could run away. He said he broke a plunk of the cottage and got in a lorry parked in the vicinity until he came near Makovc village of Prishtina, where from he walked home.

Mr. Re^ica excluded the possibility of Serbian Security or so- called Kosova Liberation Army (U^K) involvement.

Kosova Information Center

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