Kosova Daily Report #1420, 98-05-05

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From: Kosova Information Center <http://www.kosova.com/>

Kosova Information Center

KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1420

Prishtina, 5 May 1998

CONTENTS

[01] President Rugova Receives German and British Diplomats

[02] Albanian Killed by Serb Police Sniper, Unidentified Person Found Dead, in Kosovar Border Area Villages

[03] Three Persons Wounded at Ponoshevc on Monday, One of Them Dies in Hospital

[04] Albanian Killed in Unexplained Circumstances Today Morning

[05] UN Refugees Agency Urges EU Governments Put Off Sending Kosovar Asylum- Seekers Home

[06] Albanian Woman in Klina Subjected to Police Torture

[07] Albanian Youths Attacked by Serbian Police in Downtown Prizren

[08] No Word about Arrested Albanian Doctor Even After 26 Days

[01] President Rugova Receives German and British Diplomats

The current situation in Kosova, and prospects for a negotiated settlement to the Kosova issue were discussed.

Ambassador Lutz and the British Embassy Secretary Slinn briefed President Rugova on the conclusions of the Contact Group Meeting in Rome.

Regarding the situation in Kosova, Dr Rugova said it is extremely grave amidst actions by Serbian military and police forces against the local Albanian population in parts of Kosova, in Drenica region and the municipalities at the border area with Albania. He pressed for resolute international pressure to bring Serbian brutal actions to an end, and ensure that Belgrade pulls out its police, military and paramilitary units from Kosova.

The people of Kosova are committed to their peaceful struggle for freedom and independence, the President said, reaffirming the critical need for an unconditional dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade under a third party mediation, which should be conducted in a neutral country.

President Rugova expressed appreciation for the commitment of the Contact Group to support a peaceful and negotiated settlement to the Kosova crisis. He pressed for stepped up international efforts on Kosova.

[02] Albanian Killed by Serb Police Sniper, Unidentified Person Found Dead, in Kosovar Border Area Villages

The Kosovar villages along the border area with Albania have come under intermittent Serb army/police fire in the past days.

The LDK Information Commission in Gjakova reported today that on Sunday (3 May), Hajdar Osman Morina (59), father of five, was killed by Serb snipers. At midday today, the body of an unidentified person, around 60 years of age, was taken to the Gjakova hospital. He was found dead (killed) near the village of Ponoshevc. No details regarding his identity or the circumstances of his death have been made available. [A third person, of Roma ethnicity, died yesterday of wounds he received in his native Ponoshevc village; see news item below] The LDK Information Commission in Gjakova learned that Hajdar Morina was around midday Sunday together with his brother on the way to Brovina village. At a location called Kodra e Pllanikut, the Serb police stopped their car and turned them away. On the way back, a police sniper hit Hajdar, killing him on the spot, the LDK sources said. He will be buried tomorrow (Wednesday) at Morin& village at midday.

Meanwhile, the Serb police took Hasan Idriz Rama (41), a resident of Ponoshevc, to the Gjakova hospital today in a critical condition because of grave injuries he had received in the hands of Serbian forces. Hasan was transferred to the Prishtina Hospital for further treatment, LDK in Gjakova said.

The LDK sources said that Serb police-military forces opened fire yesterday afternoon on a group of children at Smolic& village. The children were not hit.

[03] Three Persons Wounded at Ponoshevc on Monday, One of Them Dies in Hospital

At 16:00 hrs, the village of Pepoc, a mile away from Ponoshevc village, was attacked yesterday.

In the evening hours, the village of Ponoshec was shelled intermittently by Serb forces.

Three local residents of Ponoshevc, an Albanian woman Raz& Neziri (1936), and two Roma community members, father and son Binak Bakri (1941) and Argjent Bakri (1978), wounded during the Serb attack, were taken to the Gjakova hospital last evening, local sources said.

They were victims of Serb indiscriminate firing on the houses in the village, and not against the Albanian terrorists, as the Serb propaganda alleges.

Sources in Gjakova said the Serb ('Yugoslav') forces resumed their firing on villages in the area today morning.

Serb forces have been stationed in a local school building at Ponoshevc village and in some houses abandoned by local Albanians.

Fresh Serb troops have reported heading for the border area with Albania today morning. In the past few weeks, especially over the past several days, heavy Serb forces, including paramilitary units, have been building up in the area.

Meanwhile, the town of Gjakova itself has continued to be tightly sealed off by Serb police, and the people routinely intimidated and ill-treated.

A bus driver of "Emin Duraku" textile factory was beaten up brutally while driving workers to the factory on Monday morning.

[04] Albanian Killed in Unexplained Circumstances Today Morning

Five hours later, around 10 o'clock, heavy Serb forces showed up and sealed the village. A helicopter reportedly flew overhead the village a bit earlier.

The police raided the homes of Rexhep, Agim, Jahir and Gani Kryeziu, respectively. Home furniture was reported smashed up during the raid.

The whereabouts of Agim Kryeziu are unknown, sources said.

The police beat up Hysni R. Kryeziu, chairman of the LDK sub- branch at Bubavec and chairman of the Albanian-run municipal government at Malisheva, whereas his brother, Bedri, had his passport confiscated.

At Duh&l village, the Serb police halted a "Loni-turs" bus from Malisheva, forcing the commuters get off the bus. Many of them were ill-treated by police.

[05] UN Refugees Agency Urges EU Governments Put Off Sending Kosovar Asylum- Seekers Home

In a statement issued yesterday the Geneva-based UN Agency said in a letter sent to 15 governments of the European Union the High Commissioner for Refugees, Ms Sadako Oggata, described the situation in Kosova as explosive and the security situation deteriorated over the past weeks. "Tension is running at fever pitch in many areas", the letter said adding that the return of rejected asylum-seekers at this time would pose security risks for those sent back and could also tip the scales toward further violence.

The UN Refugee Agency said the recent incidents affected not only Kosova Albanians but also Serbs, Montenegrins, Roma and Muslim Slavs.

Western Europe has an estimated 150,000 rejected asylum -seekers from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia -- most of them Kosovar Albanians -- many of whom are in line for return under bilateral arrangements between countries of asylum and the Federal Yugoslav government, the statement said.

On 9 March, the UNHCR also urged European governments to stop sending back rejected asylum-seekers from Kosova after the Serbian police crackdown in several villages in Drenica which left dozens of people dead and thousands of others displaced.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Mrs Sadako Ogata visited Kosova last month, meeting with the Kosova President as well as human rights groups in Kosova.

[06] Albanian Woman in Klina Subjected to Police Torture

Elizabeta Ndrecaj, a bookshop owner in Klina, was again arrested Monday and was subjected again to torture.

Meanwhile, Bujku said that the Serbian police raided on the home of Elimi Zenuni, a former political prisoner. The police looted his home and beat Mr. Zenuni severely, under the charges that a "terrorist" had entered his home the same evening.

[07] Albanian Youths Attacked by Serbian Police in Downtown Prizren

The Serbian police attacked Albanian peaceful protestors at three different junctures. At Ortakoll neighborhood the police beat severely dozens of Albanian youngsters, among them the 18-year-old Fevzi Morina, and the 19- year-old Qemal Thaqi, students of the "Lu^iano Matroni" music school in Prizren.

Bujku said Qemajl Thaqi suffered ear-bleeding. A doctor who treated him has told Bujku that his ear was so badly damaged so he may become deaf.

The second student Fevzi Morina was inflicted heavy body injuries and fractures. The doctor had told the newspaper young Morina was fractured his arm.

[08] No Word about Arrested Albanian Doctor Even After 26 Days

Dr Hafir Shala was arrested by the Serbian police in Sllatina village of Prishtina on Friday morning, 10 April 1998. He was taken to the Serb police station in Prishtina where he was seen for the last time. The Serb police authorities in Prishtina have refused to admit he was being held in their custody.

Destan Rukiqi, a lawyer hired by the family of Dr. Hafir Shala has even appealed to the Serbian Public Prosecutor Office in Belgrade, urging intervention with the Serb police and court authorities in Prishtina.

Dr. Shala's father who has likewise made repeated inquires with the Serb police in Prishtina has failed to learn whether his son is alive or not. According to the press, a senior Serb police officer in Prishtina, surnamed Bajraktarovic, even told Isuf Shala that his son [Hafir] had been "killed by terrorists in Drenica" (!).

Dr Shala's lawyer claims his client was arrested in the presence of witnesses, namely Hetem Sinani and Shaban Neziri he was travelling with in the same car. His two companions were released later that day, whereas the doctor has been held incommunicado ever since.

The lawyer further clarified that when arrested Dr. Hafir Shala was halted by the Serb police in uniforms but was handed over to persons in plain clothes who drove him to Prishtina in a black jeep with Prishtina (PR 689- 16) license plates. The jeep Dr. Hafir Shala was in was seen entering the Serb police headquarters in Prishtina, but the doctor has not been seen ever since.

Albanian Teacher Held Incommunicado by Serbian Police PRISHTINA, May 5 (KIC) - An Albanian teacher, Latif Neziri, was arrested in front of his home in Ponashec village of Gjakova four days ago. He has been held in solitary confinement since the day of his arrest, the Prishtina-based daily Bujku writes.

Mr. Neziri's parents have inquired with the Serbian police in Gjakova about their son, but were told he was transferred to the Peja detention house.

Meanwhile, the Serbian police in Peja told his parents they had no person with such a name in their custody.

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