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UNMIK/PR/571 SRSG Welcomes Gjakovė Detainees Back to Kosovo PRISTINA - SRSG Hans Haekkerup welcomed back to Kosovo today the "Gjakovė Group", the 143 Kosovar Albanians held in Serb prisons since 1999. Mr. Haekkerup went to the boundary at Merdare where the freed detainees passed into Kosovo on a fleet of three crowded buses, under the auspices of the ICRC. Mr. Haekkerup told the group that it was a historical day for Kosovo and that as a father and a husband he shared with their families the wealth of emotions and joy in meeting them. All of the detainees came from Gjakovė/Djakovica, where they were arrested in 1999 on suspicion of terrorism. In May 2000, they were sentenced to jail terms of between seven and 13 years. Serbia's Supreme Court on Monday threw out the convictions and ordered their immediate release. Earlier today Mr. Haekkerup told the meeting of the KTC that he was greatly satisfied at the release of the "Gjakova Group." He repeated his position that all Kosovar detainees in Serbian jails should be returned to Kosovo, including those that do not fall within the scope of the FRY Amnesty law. "Where necessary they should have their cases processed through a
judicial review in Kosovo conducted under UNMIK supervision, according to
international human rights and judicial standards," Haekkerup said.
"We should continue our dialogue with FRY authorities on other detainees
as well as the missing." |