OPEN WOUNDS OPEN WOUNDS Human Rights Abuses in Kosovo Human Rights Abuses in ...

160 Pages·2009·0.78 MB·English

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Copyright March 1993 by Human Rights Watch
All Rights Reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.

Library of Congress Card Catalogue No.: 94-75467
ISBN 1-56432-131-2

Human Rights Watch/Helsinki (formerly Helsinki Watch)
Human Rights Watch/Helsinki is a nongovernmental organization established in
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Cartner and Julie Mertus are counsel; Erika Dailey, Rachel Denber, Ivana Nizich and
Christopher Panico are research associates; Christina Derry, Ivan Lupis,
Alexander Petrov and Isabelle Tin-Aung are associates; (cid:240)eljka Marki(cid:131) and Vlatka
Miheli(cid:131) are consultants. Jonathan Fanton is the chair of the advisory committee
and Alice Henkin is vice-chair.
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Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................................ix
Introduction and Summary of Conclusions.........................................................................................xi
Police Violence and Mistreatment in Detention.................................................................................1
Recent Trends.......................................................................................................................................1
Specific Cases.....................................................................................................................................2
Police Raids on Villages..........................................................................................2
(cid:132)abra/˙abºr: An Example of Police Terror in
Border Villages...................................................................3
Deed Checks..............................................................................................9
Flight of Albanians From Border Villages.............................10
Bistrica/Bistricº..............................................................10
Ceraja/Cerajº....................................................................12
Other Police Raids on Villages.....................................................13
Civilians Shot Dead By Police............................................................................14
Summary of Incidents
Since CSCE Withdrawal...............................................14
Death of a Boy in Uro(cid:154)evac/Ferizaj...........................................15
Torture and Death in Detention........................................................................17
Summary of Recent Incidents......................................................17
Murder of Arif Krasniqi in the Prizren Police
Station....................................................................................18
Torture of LDK Leader in Uro(cid:154)evac...........................................20
Police Abuse of Civilians in Response to Purported
Albanian Violence...............................................................................25
Summary of Incidents
Since CSCE Withdrawal..............................................25
One Town Under Siege: Podujevo/Podujevº......................26
Evictions of Albanians From Their Homes.................................................31
Raids on Albanian Shops and Market Places.........................................33
Restrictions on Freedom of Association..............................................................................................38
Harassment of Human Rights Groups...............................................................................38
Harassment of Individuals Who Meet With or Aid Foreign
Delegations...................................................................................................................42
Harassment of Political Organizations............................................................................48
Albanian Organizations.........................................................................................48
Turkish Organizations............................................................................................54
Harassment of Trade Unions..................................................................................................55
Disruption of Specific Events...................................................................................................57
Manipulation of the Legal System and the Right to a Fair Trial..............................................61
Overview of the Failures of the Legal System...............................................................61
Cases Exemplifying Due Process Violations................................................................66
1992 Trial and Appeal of 19 Albanians for
Anti-Serbian Activities.....................................................................66
The Charges.............................................................................................67
The Procedural Defects...................................................................69
The 1993 Case Against Five Men in Prizren...............................................75
Behajdin Allaqi.......................................................................................77
Ilaz Kadolli.................................................................................................79
Hysen Gegaj.............................................................................................80
Binak Berisha.........................................................................................82
Shefki Muqaj...........................................................................................83
December 1993 Trial of LDK Leader in Prizren.......................................83
January 1994 Trial of Four Albanians in Pe(cid:131)............................................86
Fisnik (cid:132)ukaj..............................................................................................87
Sadri Shala and Ymer Shala.........................................................88
Ali Lajci.......................................................................................................89
The Militarization of Kosovo.........................................................................................................................90
Yugoslav Army Mistreatment of Civilians......................................................................90
Update on Regular Military and Paramilitary Forces and
Armed Serbian Civilians.......................................................................................95
Restrictions on Freedom of the Press and Prosecution of Journalists100.........................
Broadcasting...................................................................................................................................100
The Press and Publishing.......................................................................................................102
Update on Purges and Harassment of Journalists.................................................105
Employment Discrimination.......................................................................................................................107
Update on Emergency Laws and Mass Layoffs..........................................................107
Economic Impact of Dismissals.........................................................................................110
Discrimination in Education........................................................................................................................112
Update on Mass Layoffs of Albanian Teachers..........................................................112
Update on the University of Pri(cid:154)tina................................................................................116
Status of Negotiations Over Schools...............................................................................118
Recent Cases of Harassment of Albanian Teachers
and Faculty...................................................................................................................121
The Status of Health Case.............................................................................................................................126
Update on Mass Layoffs of Albanian Health Care
Professionals............................................................................................................126
Update on "Parallel Health Care".......................................................................................128
The Deteriorating Quality of Health in Kosovo..........................................................130
Care in Hospitals.....................................................................................................130
Status of Health Care Generally....................................................................132
Violations of International Law................................................................................................................135
Recommendations...........................................................................................................................................138
To the Government of Serbia................................................................................................138
To the International Community........................................................................................143
Appendix A: Text of May 28, 1993 Letter to Serbian President
Slobodan Milo(cid:154)evi(cid:131).....................................................................................................................144
Appendix B: Text of October 21, 1993 Letter to U.N. Secretary General
Boutros Boutros-Ghali..............................................................................................................146

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Research for this report was undertaken by Human Rights
Watch/Helsinki researchers during September 1993-January 1994. The report
was written by Julie Mertus, Counsel to Human Rights Watch/Helsinki and Vlatka
Miheli(cid:131), a consultant to Human Rights Watch/Helsinki. It was edited by Jeri Laber,
executive director of Human Rights Watch/Helsinki. Ivan Lupis and Christina
Derry, Human Rights Watch/Helsinki associates, provided editorial assistance.
Human Rights Watch/Helsinki expresses its appreciation to the Open
Society Fund for its invaluable support of its program in the former Yugoslavia,
and to Genc Bu(cid:231)inca for his invaluable support and assistance in Kosovo.

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