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Kosova Daily Report #1623, 98-11-27
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1623
Prishtina, 27 November 1998
CONTENTS
[01] President Rugova Receives Ambassador Hill
[02] President Rugova's Press Conference
[03] U^K Releases LDK Officials, Serb Journalists
[04] Family of Albanian Killed by Serbs Contradicts Serb Regime Account on
His Death
[05] Serb Police Detains and Beats 10-Year-Old Kids in Prishtina
[06] Serb Police Beat Unconscious Student in Kamenica
[07] Serb Police Arrests Albanian in Prishtina, Takes Him Out of Town, Robs
Him of DM 4,500
[08] Serb Police Cracks Down on Albanian Family, Arrest Mother and Her
Three Sons
[09] Serb Regime Files Lawsuit against Former Bujku Editor-in-Chief
[01] President Rugova Receives Ambassador Hill
PRISHTINA, Nov 27 (KIC) - The President of the Republic of Kosova Ibrahim
Rugova received Ambassador Chris Hill, the U.S. envoy for Kosova, and his
team in Prishtina today afternoon.
President Rugova and the U.S. envoy had a lengthy discussion on the current
overall situation in Kosova, focussing on the political process in pursuit
of an interim settlement to the Kosova issue.
[02] President Rugova's Press Conference
PRISHTINA, Nov 27 (KIC) - The still heavy presence of Serbian 2forces makes
the situation in Kosova grave and volatile, the President of the Republic
of Kosova Ibrahim Rugova said at the outset of his press conference in
Prishtina today (Friday).
Albanian political activists, first and foremost LDK ones, are the target
of Serbian police repressive practices on a daily basis, Rugova said.
Senior LDK officials with the Gjilan chapter are still in Serb custody, and
an LDK activist and head of the Education Authority in Shtime was sentenced
to one year in prison by the Serb regime, he added.
Speaking about the plight of the large number of displaced Albanians up and
down Kosova, President Rugova said more should be done in the way of
security to make sure that people feel safe to go back to their homes and
start rebuilding their lives. The deployment of NATO troops would build
this security for all the citizens of Kosova, he said.
The President of Kosova reaffirmed that the best solution is independence
for the country, will all the rights of the local Serb community
safeguarded, and an intentional protectorate pending a lasting solution.
Rugova availed himself of the opportunity to thank world leaders, American,
European and NATO ones, for their efforts on Kosova.
The President of the Republic congratulated all the Albanians on the 28
November - the Albanian Flag Day, adding that "independence for Kosova will
add new value to this day". [On 28 November 1912, the Albanian national
flag was raised in the Albanian town of Vlora and Albania's independence
declared].
Asked by a reporter to comment on this year's developments and the
prospects to find a solution to the Kosova issue next year, President
Rugova said Serbian military and police offensives left many Albanians
killed and huge material destruction in Kosova.
"Yet, this is also a year that has marked progress in the solution 2to the
Kosova issue", he said, adding he hoped "next year we will certainly get
closer to the resolution, and, of course, closer to independence for
Kosova".
In view of diplomatic circles' assessment that both parties in Kosova are
only strengthening their positions, a reporter asked President Rugova how
far off is the process of dialogue. "The dialogue is not far away. Any
solution should be pursued and found in a political process", he said.
Kosova has a normal communication with Albanian authorities in Tirana,
President Ibrahim Rugova said. "The Tirana authorities are supporting and
should be supporting the aspirations of the people of Kosova for
independence".
Regarding the new Constitution of Albania, Rugova said it was "a step
forward, a step towards stabilization of the situation in Albania, the
opening up of prospects for the Albanians".
President Rugova declined to comment the signing of a Serbian declaration
this past week by representatives of 'national communities' in Kosova. But
he added that the negotiating process on Kosova should be well prepared.
"This is position of the American mediator, Chris Hill, the Contact Group
and the international community at large, pressing for talks that will
yield results and not talks for talks' sake".
The Serb politicians' shuttling between Belgrade and Prishtina, allegedly
to meet political parties in Kosova, is a "political show we have seen
several times in the past several months", President Rugova concluded.
[03] U^K Releases LDK Officials, Serb Journalists
PRISHTINA, Nov 27 (KIC) - The KIC has learned that the U^K (Kosova
Liberation Army) released today (Friday) aftrenoon Jakup Kastrati and Cen
Desku, Democratic League of Kosova (LDK) chapter leaders in Malisheva, and
two Serbian journalists with the Tanjug agency, Nebojsa Radosevic and
Vladimir Dobricic, who were being held captive on charges of infringement
of U^K rules.
LDK officials Kastrati and Desku were arrested on 30 October. The Serb
journalists had been detained on 18 October.
[04] Family of Albanian Killed by Serbs Contradicts Serb Regime Account on
His Death
Jusuf Olluri was not wearing an U^K uniform when shot dead, as Serb regime
claims
PRISHTINA, Nov 27 (KIC) - The body of an Albanian, killed two days ago by
Serbs in a Gjakova village, is being kept in the town morgue in Gjakova,
LDK sources in the town said.
Jusuf Olluri (39) from Rakovina village was shot dead by Serb forces near
his native village on 25 November. Quoting Serb police authorities, the
Serb media (the Belgrade-based Blic newspaper, 26 Nov, 1998, Thursday) said
the victim was wearing the U^K [Kosova Liberation Army] uniform.
The family of the late Jusuf Olluri told the LDK chapter in Gjakova that it
is not true he had an U^K uniform when he was gunned down.
Nor was he armed, as Serb regime claimed, the family said.
Jusuf Olluri, who had fled his village of Rakovina in summer amidst the
unfolding Serb offensive in the south-west Kosova, attempted on Wednesday
to return to his village and see if anything had remained in his house
which was shelled by Serbs. While on his way back from the village on a
tractor, he was shot dead without warning, the family said, implying that
somebody, the police itself in the first place, could have put the uniform
on him.
[05] Serb Police Detains and Beats 10-Year-Old Kids in Prishtina
PRISHTINA, Nov 27 (KIC) - Two 10-year-old schoolchildren, Ismajl Mjekiqi
and Skyfter Mjekiqi, were arrested on the street of Prishtina on Thursday.
They were beaten up, too.
Ismajl Mjekiqi and Skyfter Mjekiqi, residents of Shipitulla village of
Obiliq, have been attending classes at the "Meto Bajraktari" school in
Prishtina, as they have not still been able to return to their village,
which is still being held under Serb police grip.
The boys told their teacher they were halted by the Serb police at a
checkpoint near the Brick factory (at Dragodan foot) while returning from
school. They were initially taken to a nearby hut and later sent in a car
to another place where they were held for two hours. The kids had no idea
where exactly were they were held, as they do not know much of the town,
but said the place "had a huge iron gate".
In addition to beating the boys, the police tore off their books and bags
with a knife.
[06] Serb Police Beat Unconscious Student in Kamenica
PRISHTINA, Nov 27 (KIC) - Beqir Demolli (16), a student with the secondary
technical school "Andrea Durrsaku" in Kamenica, southern Kosova, was beaten
up unconscious by the Serb police on Wednesday.
The student told the LDK chapter in Kamenica that three Serb policemen
halted him on the street and beat him up brutally. When he came to his
senses, he saw himself lying down near a river outside the town.
Beqir Demolli said he could not remember anything after he was kicked
several times soon after he had been stooped by police.
[07] Serb Police Arrests Albanian in Prishtina, Takes Him Out of Town, Robs
Him of DM 4,500
PRISHTINA, Nov 27 (KIC) - Sk&nder Bislimi (31), resident of the "Kodra e
Trimave" neighborhood in Prishtina, told the KIC today that he was tortured
and robbed 4,500 German marks.
Mr. Bislimi said he was arrested by two Serb policemen in uniforms on
Thursday at around 14:30, near the Prishtina hospital. "In the meantime,
other policemen and Serbs in plain clothes came who forced me into a
civilian car and took me near the Badovci Lake", a couple of miles south of
Prishtina, he said. He was beaten up brutally there and was seized DM 4,500,
the ring, wrist watch and his ID.
Bislimi said he was on his way to Hajvalia village to deliver the money to
his sister, whose husband working abroad had earlier sent to her.
He told the KIC that the Serbs threatened him with liquidation.
After he was let go at around 16:45, he went to a "Mother Teresa" clinic
where he was given medical treatment.
[08] Serb Police Cracks Down on Albanian Family, Arrest Mother and Her
Three Sons
PRISHTINA, Nov 27 (KIC) - Over thirty heavily armed Serb policemen cracked
down Friday morning on an extended Albanian family at Shishman i Bok&s,
near the Kosova-Albania border.
The LDK chapter in Gjakova said Serb policemen raided several homes of the
Isufi extended family, ill-treating and beating brutally family members,
including children.
Brothers Bajram Isufi (15), Isan Isufi (18) and Flamur Isufi (21), as well
as their mother Nushe Isufi (48) were taken to the police station in
Gjakova.
The four Albanians were still in Serb police custody by midday today.
[09] Serb Regime Files Lawsuit against Former Bujku Editor-in-Chief
PRISHTINA, Nov 27 (KIC) - The Serbian regime Public Prosecutor's Office in
Prishtina has filed a lawsuit against the Rilindja Publishing Company,
namely Mr. Avni Spahiu, editor-in-chief of Albanian-language "Bujku" daily
on charges of 'violation of legal provisions of the Serbian Law on
Information'.
Mr. Spahiu is charged with having not sent daily copies of the Bujku
newspaper to the Serb Public Prosecutor's Office from 1 September through
30 September 1998, Bujku reported today.
Avni Spahiu and the legal representative of the Bujku newspaper have been
summoned to appear before the Serb magistrate court on 27 November.
The Bujku newspaper has not done something like this - sending copies to
the Prosecutor's Office - because even based on the Serb Law, it does not
have to do it.
Rilindja daily was banned by the Serbian occupation regime in August 1990.
The Bujku newspaper is its successor.
Kosova Information Center
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