====================================================== KOSOVA COMMUNICATION Bulletin of the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Kosova 4th Year; No202, 9 January 1995 Rugova Receives German Bundestag Member The President of Kosova, Dr Rugova, received in Prishtina Mr. Willy Wimmer, Vice-Chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and member of the German Bundestag, accompanied by Dr. Thomas Schmitt, First Secretary of the German Embassy in Belgrade. In the meeting with Mr. Wimmer President Rugova outlined the current situation in Kosova which had deteriorated due to increased repression and violence exercised by the Serbian authorities. President Rugova presented the political options for the solution of the Kosova issue, an independent and neutral Kosova, open to Albania and Serbia being the optimum solution and bringing about a lasting peace and stability in the region, and reiterated his call for an international civil administration over Kosova as a transitory solution. Rugova also pointed out that the Albanian side was ready for equal dialogue with under the mediation of a third party. Mr. Wimmer expressed the readiness and commitment of the OCSE and Germany in reaching a political solution for the Kosova issue. Belgrade should be cooperative and ready in reaching a solution Mr. Wimmer said, adding that no return of Serbia to the international community could be possible without a solution to the Kosova problem. Bukoshi protests at expulsions and document seizures The Prime Minister of Kosova, Dr Bujar Bukoshi, recently addressed a letter to the Interior Minister of Macedonia, Mr. Stevan Crvenkovski, expressing concern at the recent arrests of the Chairman and several delegates of the outgoing legislation of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosova, who were residing in Skopje. Dr Bukoshi pointed out that the delegates were residing in Macedonia in accordance with an agreement reached between the authorities of the Republic of Kosova and Macedonia, signed in June 1992 and that during their stay they had respected the conditions of the agreement . Bukoshi went on to add that on the occasion of Mr. Ramajli's arrest Macedonian authorities seized the complete archives of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosova, including acts passed by the Assembly, correspondence of the Chairman and other Ministers, and audio and visual recordings of the Assembly proceedings. In view of the fact that the documentation belonged to the citizens and institutions of the Republic of Kosova, wrote Dr Bukoshi, and in view of the fact that no crime had been committed under Macedonian Law, he requested the immediate return of the materials to the Government of the Republic of Kosova via the Macedonian embassy in Germany. The Prime Minister ended by stating that in view of the already tense situation in the Balkans, the actions of the Macedonian Government in this matter could hardly be said to facilitate Albanian-Macedonian relations. Serbian forces wound two Albanians Serbian army border units shot at and wounded on 31 December 1994, an ethnic Albanian, Ibrahim Zeqir Pagarizi from Libizhdk village of Malisheva. Ibrahim Zeqiri, together with a friend of his, Zeqir Thaqi from Mirusha village of Malisheva, attempted to cross the FYROM-Kosova border, about a mile away from the Hani i Elezit border check point in order to avoid the border checks. He was first beaten up by Serb soldiers and then shot Mr Zeqiri in his leg while he was laying down, whereas Zeqir Thaqi was beaten unconscious. Ibrahim Zeqiri was reportedly sent to the Prishtina hospital, whereas Zeqir Thaqi was taken to the police station in Ferizaj where he was subjected to police torture and forced to sign a statement Serbian border forces in the Qafa e Morines region near the Albanian-Kosova border opened fire on Ali Hysen Dervishaj, from the village Gllogjani. Mr Dervishaj is currently in hospital in Peja where he is condition is said to be stable. Serbian Helsinki committee calls for Kosova-Serb dialogue The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights In Serbia has recently released a report on Human Rights titled "Forced repression in function of possible dialogue". The report amongst other things states: The situation in Kosova is being worsened for economic reasons as well. due to the total lack of any investment since 1981, but also due to constant conflict within the municipality authorities and management of companies. The most important economic potentials of Kosova, such as mines and the manufacturing complex TREPCA, are almost bankrupt. Since the autonomy of the province has been dissolved, the state's policy has been directed towards the firing of workers of Albanian nationality (about 150,000 wor kers during the first year), the pulling out of all valuable capacities from Kosova (the economy of Kosova has been estimated on 5000 billion dollars, according to the data of the International Labour Organisation and IMF) and depriving any social help to families of Albanian background. During the last three years, in the ownership transformation, the Fund for the Development of Serbia, in more than 100 companies in Kosova, has taken over the property along with other firms in Serbia. In this way, the more valuable capacities became the legal property of large firms outside Kosova - Belgrade, Nis, Kragujevac and elsewhere, thus additionally impoverishing the technology and economy of Kosova. The discontent is growing due to the non-achieved , but also due to the negative attitude of the international community on the secession of Kosova. The arrest of about 200 former workers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Albanian descent, during November, further dynamizes the political scene of Kosova and represents a kind of a Milosevic response to the petition demands of the Serbian Resistance Movement in Kosova. The repression and arrogance of the Serbian regime has pushed Albanians to an even more radical position, and now it is hard to expect their willingness to accept conditions of the international community. Bearing in mind the repression being increased on a daily basis and especially the torture exercised in the above mentioned arrests, the control over the events may be lost, which can be dangerous in conditions of permanent tension. The objective of recent arrests and constant intimidation of the Albanian population seems an effort to dissolve the parallel state and to create a better negotiating position. With this political action of arresting 200 Albanians the regime demonstrates force and re-opens the Kosova question. The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia follows developments in Kosova with great concern and thereby is warning that the constant increase of repressive measures lead s to a spillover of the conflict to the south of the country. The Helsinki Committee also calls attention to massive violations of human rights of the Albanian population in Kosova and to living conditions that are becoming worse and worse. Bearing in mind the above mentioned, the Helsinki Committee considers that it is necessary to immediately start the dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtina on an equal basis. The Helsinki Committee also considers the return of the CSCE mission to Kosova is necessary. Congress members write to Clinton Members of the U.S. Congress Susan Molinari and Eliot Engel wrote to the President of the U.S. Bill Clinton. In the letter they state: "We are writing to express our gratitude for the high level of attention paid to the visit of the President of Kosova, Ibrahim Rugova. Although we are very satisfied that the Adviser for National Security, Anthony Lake, reiterated the stand of the U.S.A that some of the sanctions imposed on Serbia should remain until a definitive resolution of the Kosova issue is achieved, we strongly believe that a greater cooperation from Serbia is needed before the lifting of the sanctions is considered. Nevertheless, your conditioning to remove the sanctions imposed on Serbia is clear evidence that a reasonable solution of the Balkans crisis is not po ssible without the solution of the Kosova problem. In the end, at a time when U.S. policy towards Bosnia is changing and the violation of the Human Rights in Kosova is escalating, we would recommend to you some further steps that your Administration should take in order to help the people of Kosova and prevent the expansion of the conflict from Bosnia to Kosova. First, we feel that the warning that U.S.A. would act on the escalation of Serbian aggression to Kosova should be repeated clearly and publicly. Second, the U.S.A. should open an Information Office in Prishtina, as it is anticipated by Law, and to allow the Government of Kosova to open an office in Washington. Third, the International presence in Kosova should be increased through the return of the OSCE mission and possibly through the application of a type of an international protectorate. Serbian police evicts the Albanian families Besides arresting and prosecuting more than 200 members of former Albanian Kosova police employees, Serbian police has forcefully evicted from many of their families from their homes and threatened others. On 15 December, Serbian police broke into the flat of Shemsi Xhema, former commander of Kosova Special Police Units and was evicted from his home. His family was even made to pay the expenses of the police intervention. The flat was given to a Serbian policeman from Kamenica. The family of Mr. Xhema was left homeless. On 28 December Serbian police visited the families of four former Kosova police employees in Prishtina, and demanded that they move out of their flats as soon as possible under the justification that the flats belong to the Serbian state and it's enemies can no longer live in them. The following day a further 5 families were given orders to vacate their homes. Three families were forcefully evicted, including those of Reshat Goga and Sherif Krasniqi. On 2 January two other families were forced to leave their flats. Similar threats have been reported all over Kosova. News in Brief An advert published in 'Jedinstvo', dated 4 January, states that in order to prevent the emigration of Serbs from Kosova, and to aid its colonisation, The Fund for Development of Serbia is letting 15 flats in Vushtrri and 5 in Mitrovica. Kosova Unions are very concerned as the above mentioned Fund does not possess any flats in Kosova, and therefore those advertised must have been taken from Albanians. All government ministries have been commissioned to prepare propositions for the 'settlement' of the problems in Kosova, stated Vekoslav Sosevic, a minister in the Serbian government responsible allegedly for the 'economic development' of Kosova, to the Serbian local daily based in Prishtina, Jedinstvo (31/12/94) Mr. Sosevic announced plans of the Serbian government towards the further colonization of Kosova and the changing of the ethnic structure in the favour of Serbs and Montenegrins. He said construction of settlements for Serb settlers was included in the Serbian government's overall scheme and funding, DM 3.5, million was to be allocated from the state budget. The construction of 'industrial capacities' to offer job opportunities for those settled in Kosova are also to be included in the Serbian government's agenda, Sosevic told Jedinstvo. The same paper, on the 5 January issue, reports that a building with 26 flats dedicated for Serbs will be built in the centre of Kamenica. The Belgrade based daily 'Vecernje Novosti' , (5/1/95) writes: 'A new law on regional organization is to be introduced by the Serbian government because of the changes of the form of signposting settlements, streets and town centres and the changing of several place names, particularly in Kosova. The law will outline the procedures on forming new communes, merging and abolishing them. =========================================================== Kosova Information Center KOSOVA DAILY REPORT # 533 Prishtina, 18 January 1995 Defending Lawyers Testify about Savage Torture against Albanian Detainees Since mid-November 1994, the Serbian regime has launched a wild-scale campaign against former police employees of the former Kosova police force. Over 170 former policemen have been arrested throughout Kosova in a bid to 'uncover' the alleged Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Kosova. Based on the reports of defending lawyers and statements of the Serbian-run judiciary authorities, some 130 detained persons have been extended pre-trial detention to additional two months. The Prishtina-based newspaper Bujku carries in its today's issue accounts of the defending lawyers in connection with the torture and savage experiences the detainees have been going through during investigation proceedings. Hasan Hoti, a defending lawyer of 10 detainees from Gjilan and Prishtina, told the newspaper that one of his clients (he did not reveal his name for fear of possible implications) was forced by the Serbian security inspectors to take on the role of an investigating judge and later to cross-examine and torture his colleague. Another client was forced to take all his clothes off and told that a homosexual would come to his prison cell and rape him, Mr. Hoti said. Adem Bajri, a defending lawyer from Peja, told Bujku that his client, Dkrgut Bibaj, was badly tortured by a Serb examining magistrate, Veselin Cadjenovic. Mr. Bibaj was later transferred to the intensive care ward of the Peja Hospital and forced to give a statement there. Mr. Destan Rukiqi, a defending lawyer from Prishtina, was quoted by the newspaper as saying that there was many a procedure infringement and that he was in possession of evidence that his clients had been subjected to all forms of torture and that electric shock had been used against the detainees in order to force them sign self-incriminating statements. The Serbian public prosecutors have violated provisions of the Serbian law itself, he said. According to this law, detainees cannot be held in detention to more than three days, while most of the former policemen have been held in detention for weeks without having had any charges instituted against. Article 197 of the Serbian Penal Code reads that detainees can be held in the so-called pre-trial detention to one month at most, whereas Albanian detainees have been extended pre-trial detention to two further months, Mr. Rukiqi underscored. Serbian-installed Rector of Prishtina University Drums up Schemes for Colonization of Kosova The Serb-installed Rector of the University of Prishtina, Radivoje Papovic, told today's Prishtina-based Serbian daily "Jedinstvo" that he preferred the strategies of the Serbian king Aleksandar Karadjordjevic for the colonization of Kosova. Mr. Papovic regretted that such schemes had not 'regrettably' been 'completed entirely'. "Nonetheless, what we [Serbs] are doing now is a recurrence of such an idea which is necessary and reasonable because it is based on necessities of the Serbian state," Papovic points out. Commenting on remarks of foreign delegations over the colonization of Kosova, the Serbian rector says that no one from abroad should interfere with these matters as "Kosova is solely a Serbian issue, it is Serbian interests and Serbian morrow that are here". The Serbian ultra-nationalist 'scholar' who is a settler to Kosova himself, has many times called on university professors and students from Serbia to come to the usurped University of Prishtina, promising them accommodation and other benefactions. He also testifies that such schemes have already been performed. "Over the past two and a half years, some 7000 students and 348 professors have come to our University. We call on those who are willing to come here and our duty is to provide apartments to all of them," Mr. Papovic told the Belgrade-based "Nin" in its 30 September 1994 issue. The Serbian regime has been widely advocating and performing campaigns for the colonization of Kosova and changing of its ethnic composition. Only last week the government of the self-proclaimed Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) passed a statutory decree for the "realization of the Programme for the settlement of 100.000 Serbs and Montenegrins in Kosova". Over the past two years, several settlements for Serbs have either been erected or are under construction in Kosova. British Writer James Pettifer Harassed by Serbian Security James Pettifer, a British writer and academic, Senior Associate Member of St. Antony's College, Oxford, was harassed by 2 Serbian security agents in Gjakova, at 4.30 on Monday (16 January). While walking in the street, he was stopped by 2 agents who jumped from a car and questioned him. Mr. Pettifer, the author of 'The Greeks' and 'Blue Guide to Albania', among other publications, was in Gjakova in connection with research for his new book. Mr. Pettifer told KIC that the security agents had warned him not to take photographs, not to stay overnight in Gjakova, and to leave the town on the next bus. Albanian Youth Forcefully Drafted On 10 January, the Serbian police arrested the youth Bafti Berisha at Mirosalk village of Ferizaj. The report indicates that Mr. Berisha was immediately sent to serve the army at the Serbian military barracks in Belgrade. Repression Chronicle Ferizaj: On 11 January, the Serbian police detained Isa Kamberi who was repprtedly illtreated under the excuse of being in possession of weapons.LDK sources in Ferizaj say that this was the sixth time he was detained under the same pretext. Same day, the Serbian police during a search conducted at the home of Skknder Advdulli, for unknown reasons, shot with fire arms in the direction of the young Enver Avdulli. They arrested him afterwards and beat him up severely. Skenderaj: On 15 January, a Serbian police patrol halted a group of Albanian wedding-goers and reportedly ill-treated some of them with no reason whatsoever. Gani Koci, a member to the Kosova Parliament and member to the LDK Central Board was reported detained together with his wife and interrogated at the police station in Gllogovc for over two hours.