KOSOVA COMMUNICATION #216
[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
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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