UNMIK- OSCE - EU - UNHCR Press Briefing, 07 February 2002

UNMIK Spokesman Simon Haselock
OSCE Spokesman Sven Lindholm
ICTY Outreach Co-ordinator for Kosovo Lori Galway
EU Spokeswoman Betty Dawson
UNHCR Spokeswoman Astrid van Genderen Stort

UNMIK Spokesman Simon Haselock

To begin with I would like to make a couple of points in regard to the continuing questions and misunderstandings concerning the 3 arrests of last week and the demonstrations that have ensued.

Firstly these arrests were the result of a long investigation going back to 1999.

The allegations refer to offenses carried out against Albanians including women and juveniles and involve enforced detentions, beatings, tortures and murder.

These were not crimes committed between combatants engaged in war but against unarmed noncombatants.

Secondly is this an attempt to blacken the reputation of the KLA as some have tried to suggest; the answer is no. This is about the rule of law over the rule of fear it is about individual responsibility.

In any organization whether it be during a war or otherwise, individuals must be held accountable for actions that go outside the rule of law. No one is immune from the law and individual acts do not reflect on the reputation of an organization.

Thirdly why now? Well simply because the investigation is now at a stage when sufficient evidence has been gathered to place before the courts. These decisions are taken independently of the political process. To suggest that we should somehow not deal with crimes committed before UNMIK had jurisdiction is simply absurd. A crime is a crime whenever it is committed and by whoever committed it. There is no limitation on time and when evidence is presented sufficient to justify a prosecution the police and prosecution have a duty to place the evidence before a court.

Was this done as a consequence with a deal done in Belgrade again this is absurd. The judicial process is independent of the political one. UNMIK has stood firm against all who have tried to subvert the independence of the judicial system. This independence is a fundamental principle of a civil society.

Will the case be affected by public protests. Everyone has a right to protest in a democratic society but the guilt or innocence of anyone brought before the courts is for the courts to decide and not the mob. Orchestrated demonstrations will not and cannot interfere with the judicial process.

Some police information

Bartetzko trial will start tomorrow at the Pristina District Court, Roland Bartetzco - a German national - is accused of murder and terrorism in relation to the Center for Peace and Tolerance bombing that happened last April.

An explosion was reported yesterday afternoon in downtown Prizren in a Kosovo-Turk residence. Preliminary investigation indicates that it was a family dispute. Apparently a Kosovo Turkish man threw a hand grenade injuring nine people (5 males , four female). The nine - all Kosovo Turks from the same family - were treated at the local hospital, five were later released three were hospitalized, one - a 63 years old female - was in serious conditions and was transferred to the Pristina hospital. The suspect was himself injured and is still in the hospital. The house was damaged.

Also in Prizren a large fire was reported on Tuesday night in a building of Ardijan Zurnagjiu St. Local and KFOR fire brigade responded to the scene, including two units from Suva Reka. Regrettably the dead body of a 40 years old Kosovo Albanian was found in the ruins. The causes of the fire are not known at this stage. The building has been cordoned off for safety reasons.

In Janjevo on Tuesday unknown people burglarized six Kosovo-Croatian owned houses. Various household articles were stolen. Owners were out of Kosovo when the burglary occurred.

Last night in Northern Mitrovica a small group of men attacked an UNMIK Police vehicle, assaulted the driver and stole items from his car. Officer was not injured, vehicle received minor damage.

In Vitina on Tuesday during a house search UNMIK Police recovered a computer used to make false Yugoslav ID cards, false registration plates and impression seals. One Kosovo Albanian was arrested

OSCE Spokesperson Sven Lindholm

Municipal Elections

The term of office for members of the municipal assemblies, according to regulation 2000/39, is two years. On this basis, the SRSG has requested the OSCE to begin making preparations for municipal elections during 2002. Following the request, we have started the necessary operational preparations. A date for the elections is still be set by the SRSG upon his arrival.

Clarification of OSCE's role supporting victims of trafficking

This past Monday, Koha Ditore published an article that misrepresents OSCE's role in combating and providing support to victims of trafficking in Kosovo. The overall programme includes many parts of the OSCE as well as the UNMIK Police Trafficking and Prostitution Investigation Unit (set up specifically to provide a coordinated law enforcement response in the context of action against trafficking), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and numerous local partners. For example, a victim assistance system has been set up to ensure victims of trafficking who wish to return home can be brought from point of discovery into the shelter in a orderly and humane manner, not as the article implies "protecting prostitutes". A trafficked person should not be treated like a criminal prostitute or even an illegal immigrant, but rather a victim. One of OSCE's priorities, victim advocacy, attempts to address the needs of victims, ensuring that they do not become re-traumatized through the criminal justice process. By the end of the month, the OSCE will be publishing a victim advocacy resource manual, to further raise awareness of the issue and used as a basis for training advocates who specialize in victim support.

Kosovo Law Center

The Kosovo Law Centre (KLC) is hosting a grand opening of its new premises and presenting its strategic programme for 2002. The KLC's new premises will better serve its staff and additional needs for training programmes. While the KLC will continue to supplement and support the legal education provided at the Law Faculty - legal clinics and the "Street Law" project - it will also be taking on the important task of building the capacity of the staff of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, a primary responsibility being the administration and continued reform of Kosovo's education system. All media are invited to come tomorrow, Friday February 8 at 11.00.

ICTY Outreach Co-ordinator for Kosovo Lori Galway

As you all know we have the commencement of the Milosevic's trial in the Hague on the 12 February. Today I will provide a little bit of information on the proceedings.

First of all a decision has been taken in the Hague to open a fourth audio track in the courtroom in the public gallery and this means that all proceedings will be simultaneously interpreted into Albanian. This is the first time in the history of the Tribunal that we've had simultaneous translation into Albanian as well.

There is also work ongoing in the Hague to try to make the proceedings available through live audio feed in Albanian on the Internet. Currently it is in English and BCS - Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian. So they are trying to make it available also in Albanian.

With respect to the proceedings and you having an opportunity to view proceedings live, RTK will broadcast certainly the first day live from 09:30 till 16:00. For the first four weeks of the trial we will have the proceedings ongoing from 09:30 until 16:00 every day Monday to Friday. Definitely for the first day they will be available on RTK and RTK is attempting to find a way to prolong its airing of the proceeding but that is ongoing.

That is all I have. Thank you.

EU Spokeswoman Betty Dawson

BPK

The BPK Governing Board met this week and approved licenses for four insurance companies to operate in Kosovo: These companies are--Dardania Insurance Company, Sigueria Insurance Company, Dukagjini Insurance Company and Insig Insurance Company.
Conversion to the Euro is continuing and citizens are reminded that the process will end on 28th February.

EAR

The European Agency for Reconstruction will, next week, be marking its second anniversary in Kosovo. Two years ago, in February 2000, the Agency took over from the European Commission Task Force for the Reconstruction of Kosovo (EC TAFKO), which had been established during the summer of 1999 to implement the EU's emergency programmes in Kosovo.
Since February 2000, the European Agency for Reconstruction has been responsible for the management of EUR 695 million of EU assistance programmes in Kosovo. All media are invited to attend a press conference on Tuesday 12th February at 1100 at the Agency (Museum of Kosovo) to hear about the achievements of the Agency in Kosovo. Speakers at the press briefing will be: Hugues Mingarelli, Director of the European Agency for Reconstruction and Thierry Bernard-Guele, Head of Operations. A media alert is outside with more information.

Budget

Immediately after this press conference, on a subject that is of immense interest to all of us, Mr Tony Preston-Stanley and his team will do a presentation on the details of the budget for 2002

Energy

Mr Tim O'Neill, a senior member of the EU management team and currently the Principal International Officer of the Transitional Department of Trade and Industry has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Supervisory Board of KEK. The appointment is effective immediately and a press release is outside. Dr Jo Truschler announced his resignation yesterday and most of you will have received that press release through the email.

Also on energy, a 15 million-DM project approved by the Swiss government through SECO organization and dedicated to KEK in Gjilan, Kamenica and Kllokot (Viti) areas for new modern digital transformers. The donation (initiated in October 2000) was received on 18 February and work will begin on the construction of the new modern digital transformer in Kllokot (Viti), in Gjilan 4 near the regional hospital and Gjilani 1 center of the town. And there will be a construction of the new transformer and the repair of the network 110Kv/20 kv in Kamenica area.

UNHCR Spokeswoman Astrid van Genderen Stort

Questions:

Q: There were some rumors that during '98 - '99 in different parts of Kosovo the KLA, the former UCK has opened concentration camps. How many concentration camps you are aware have been opened or held by the former UCK and how many people run through these concentrations camps, both Albanians and Serbs?

SH: I don't have any information to that effect. All I know is that the current offenses that are being investigated at the moment refer to allegations about detentions. As far as numbers etc. are concerned I have no information on that. Any details that are likely to be presented in the court are not going to be presented to the press until such time as they are presented formally in front of the court and that is the way that the judicial process works in any civil society.

Q: You are calling appealing to the Kosovars to understand the situation today. Do you think that Kosovars are not mature enough to understand the circumstances, the seriousity of this situation and do you believe that Kosovars should do another thing to prevent crimes?

SH: I don't think it is the question of their maturity. You need to be consistent. We are often accused of not giving sufficient information or trying to give information and understanding to the Kosovo population and so therefore what we are trying to do is to is to explain in response to a number of questions that we have received, both from the public and the media what the position is with regards to these arrests and demonstrations. We are responding to what we see as public demand. I think actually that the waste majority of Kosovars know quite well what this is about and it is only a small extreme minority who wish to manipulate the circumstances for their own motives which has led to this current slight rise in tension. But I think that I would stick to what we have said all along, that the demonstrations are principally orchestrated, they come from the very specific strata of society and I see that the newspapers have already come to their own conclusions about whether they may be related to the people who may have guilty conscience themselves and who may wish to create smokescreen to cover their dirty consciences.

Q: A technical question. As far I know the Bartetzko trial was originally scheduled for 13th February. Do you have any idea why was the date changed?

SH: No I don't. All I know is that is the date. I can check it for you.