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UNMIK-UNMIK Police-OSCE- Press Briefing, 03 December 2001 UNMIK Spokesman Susan Manuel
Registration of Assembly Members The registration of the new Assembly members is taking place today and tomorrow at the Government building. The group tasked with setting up the Assembly is assisting them in this. The security for the inaugural session of the assembly is going to be
very tight. Therefore, all journalists who plan to attend have to get
accredited on 6 December between 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The inaugural session is going to be telecast live. Journalists covering the event will not have access to the Assembly hall. A media room is being set up for them in the old Press Office, with TV monitors and audio and video outputs for TV and radio journalists to tape the proceedings from. Owing to the tight security, journalists will also not be allowed to wander around the building that day. On 10 December, the day of the assembly, all journalists must reach the reception area of the government building between 8.45 a.m. and 9 a.m. Every piece of equipment will be carefully checked. Therefore please do not reach later than 9 a.m. OSCE/NDI The OSCE will issue a press release later day on the training session for Assembly members being organized by the American National Democratic Institute and the OSCE. This is a weeklong seminar for all elected members on governance and work in an Assembly. The first day is devoted to the 34 women members of the Assembly. Sessions are ongoing in various locations, and today's events are closed to the media. Sven Lindholm of the OSCE will have further information for you on this. Delegation of Serb Assembly Members Unfortunately the delegation of the 22 Serb Assembly members arrived today from Belgrade for the training session with some 30 media and 8 other KP representatives and flew back this morning. When the issue of large number of journalists was raised within the last two days, the delegation was informed there was no time to arrange security for such a large number. And more importantly they were told that the event, which was a training session for All assembly members, was not intended as a media event. It was made clear to the delegation that as a compromise they could bring a small pool of journalists for photo opportunities. Unfortunately, the delegation rejected this proposal and arrived with numbers we could not accommodate. WE are very disappointed the Assembly members did not attend this training session today and hope they will return shortly for the rest of the program which will continue throughout the week, and to register as expected for the Assembly. Move of Passport offices Yesterday UNMIK officials moved the FRY passport and other offices to a new location in the Pristina Industrial area, about 2 kms out of central Pristina on the road to Kosovo Polje/Fushe Kosovo. There is a map posted at the old site, however the new location is easy
to find by turning right at the big stoplight. The new offices are next to
the Indian SPU headquarters. They will re-open when this is arranged by
Belgrade authorities. The ambulanta which had resided in those offices is
being relocated to the UNMIK Police Station No. One. These moves
were taken for two reasons; security, in the wake of the bomb attack last
March which killed an FRY official, and accommodation for the new
Provisional Self Government. Several offices around Pristina are being
moved-in order to house the various ministries and high
officials. On 1 December, Penal Management instituted a system of early release for all sentenced prisoners in Kosovo. Penal Management conducted legal training with correctional officers from all detention centers and prisons. Under the policy, a convicted person who exhibits good behavior, makes effort in his work, and actively participates in useful projects and has served three-quarters of the imposed prison sentence, may be conditionally released up to three months before the end of the sentence. The power to release will rest in the hands of the Directors of detention centers and prisons. Currently we have about 750 inmates, nearly half of whom are serving sentences. Prison capacity is about 1,000.
This weekend KFOR carried out the largest simultaneous weapons search operation ever seen in Kosovo. Operation IRON FIST involved approximately 3000 soldiers from all five Multi-National Brigades, who carried out intelligence led search operations and increased activity at checkpoints all areas of Kosovo. These troops included soldiers still in theatre after the general elections and elements of NATO's Strategic Reserve Force. COMKFOR is conducting this large-scale military operation to ensure that extremists and criminals do not feel comfortable in any area of Kosovo and to demonstrate KFOR's ability to mobilize and employ large numbers of troops quickly. This action is consistent with KFOR's responsibility to provide safe and secure environment across Kosovo and with our long term strategy to assist the people of Kosovo in driving out extremism and organized criminality. The results of this operation have led to the detention of 12 people of which 6 were arrested by UNMIK Police and KPS, of which Derek will provide you details. Total number of items confiscated by KFOR includes: 6x riffles, 4 x shotguns, 1 x home made riffle, 15 x pistols, 24 x hand grenades, 13 anti-tank mines, 3 anti personnel mines, ammunition magazines, over 1200 rounds of ammunition, military uniforms, maps and other sundry items.
Police/KFOR Co-operation The operation that KFOR and UNMIK Police carried out on December 1 makes a strong statement about the co-operation and determination of both organisations towards providing a normal life for the people of Kosovo. Violence and weapons are not a part of the future. KFOR, UNMIK Police and the KPS may wear different uniforms, but we act as one. The Police can depend on the full support of KFOR in locating illegal weapons and arresting the people who would use them. Saturday's operation resulted in the arrest of two suspects, wanted for previous acts of violence. One K-Albanian male is being held for suspicion of involvement in a bombing incident in Dragash in May,2001, that was directed at International Police. A second K-Albanian male is in custody for alleged involvement in a grenade attack from July, 2000 in the village of Belobrod. Three others are being held on charges of illegal possession of weapons. Gang Attack in Mitrovica On 30 November UNMIK Police in North Mitrovica were given details of an especially despicable assault. A 66 year old K-Bosniac male was stopped on the street by a group of three Serbian men who demanded to see his passport. The victim could not speak due to a medical problem that caused removal of his larynx. The three men then beat him until he was unconscious and left him. He is being treated in hospital and is expected to recover. This type of criminal violence, at 11:00 in the morning, on a public street shows the need for normal policing to be provided throughout Mitrovica. Kosovo Police Service - Bravery Awards On Saturday, the Kosovo Police Service honoured six of their members for acts of bravery performed in serving their fellow citizens. The KPS Media office will issue a Press Release later this week on cases of heroism. I would like to highlight one case, involving a young KPS officer still in training at the time. On February 2, 2000, officer Ardita Fetahu responded to an apartment building on fire in Pristina. She entered the burning building, at extreme personal risk, and upon being told of persons trapped on the seventh floor, climbed to that floor and rescued a pregnant woman and five children, amidst intense heat and flames. Her courage, dedication and professionalism reflect the highest standards of policing and demonstrate to everyone in Kosovo the quality of the people who protect them.
Q: What is going to happen if the Assembly members, who flew back today, do not show up for registering of Assembly members tomorrow? SM: Well, I think they can be accommodated over the next couple of days in terms of registering. We expect them to return to register. Q: What if they do not return. I read in SRNA today that they sounded quite angry? SM: I am sorry if they are angry, but they are missing an important training session. However, they have been elected to the Assembly and I am quite confident they will return to register. They are not going to abandon the whole political process over a dispute over journalists. Q: Do you plan to postpone the first session of the Parliament due to this problem? SM: No. This is a problem just for today. It had to do with the session with the OSCE and NDI, had to do with bringing too many journalists that everyone was unprepared for. As we've announced already today, we have plans to accommodate journalists for the Assembly. But this was an in-house training session for Assembly members. None of you were going to be there, I don't think. So, this is a dispute that I hope will be resolved today. Q: But the Serb delegation has preconditions for the first session of the Assembly. They said that if the Serb journalists are not going to attend, they would not attend either. In this case why couldn't you provide security for 30 journalists and how do you think that you can provide security for 22 members of the Parliament? SM: The two events are not equivalent. The event for today was an in-house training session, it was not any kind of a media event; one. Two, when we were told about these journalists coming we told the delegation: Please, no. We can't handle it. The event can't handle it, and we haven't had time to arrange for security. For the Assembly, I have just announced to you, we have complete plans for all journalists who want to attend. This is a historic event; the inauguration of the Assembly. Of course it will be covered by journalists, in the way that I've just described. They are apples and oranges, you know. SM: By the way, the journalists were not prevented from coming; apparently OSCE offered to accommodate a pool of journalists to the event and that was turned down. And you guys are used to this. Everybody is used to the fact that not everything is open to dozens of journalists, you know. Especially training sessions that have to do with preparation and education. Q: Nebojsa Covic has said he will buy all the property of the Serbs here in Kosova. SM: I had no idea he was such a wealthy man. Q: On behalf of the Serbian state; he wants to buy the property of all Serbs living in Kosova. SM: That is very interesting. I have to look into it. What can I say? If he has that much money and the property is for sale, then good luck.
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