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United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT
Press Briefing Notes, 10 June 2003
UNMIK Spokesperson Izabella Karlowicz,
KFOR Spokesperson Major Will Beckman
UNMIK Police Spokesperson Derek Chappell
OSCE Spokesperson Sven Lindholm
EU Spokeswoman Monique De Groot
UNMIK Spokesperson Izabella Karlowicz
Good morning everybody. I would like to start with welcoming Major Will Beckman who temporarily replaces Gary who is currently on leave.The Security Council is meeting today. It is a regular briefing on Kosovo, which will be presented by Deputy Head of DPKO Mr. Annabi. It is NOT the quarterly report on Kosovo as some media reported. The SRSG is going to Brussels to meet the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament to make a presentation on the situation Kosovo. There will be a joint press conference of the delegation consisting of SRSG, President Ibrahim Rugova and Provisional Government’s Inter-ministerial Coordinator for Returns Milorad Todorovic at 17.30 in the press conference room of the EU Parliament.
On Wednesday he will meet with the Political and Security Committee of
the European Union and with H.E. Mr. Jean-Claude JUNCKER, Prime Minister
of Luxembourg.
Many of you have been asking us questions regarding accreditations for
the Thessaloniki Summit. All information can be found through the Greek
Presidency website, where you will also be able to find Accreditation
Forms, Meeting Lists, Accommodation, Press Kits etc. For visa for Greece
please get in touch with the Greek office. I strongly advise you to do
it as fast as possible. All details are on the web; please refer to the
handouts for details.
UNMIK DPI will take over accreditation of journalists from KFOR soon. We will announce the details of this transfer later in the week. The KFOR accreditation cards will be valid until they expire. So only those journalists whose cards have expired should come to us for renewal. We will let you know what we will require from you before giving the accreditation.
We have received several calls this morning regarding a report that appeared in Tanjug about Mr. Steiner giving them a telephone interview. I must clarify that this is a figment of imagination of the Tanjug correspondent Bojan Bozovic. No formal invitations have been issued by the SRSG and Michael Steiner gave no telephone interview to him. We will announce the decision on the composition of his delegation when the decision is taken.
On Thursday, 12 June there will be a meeting with Dr. Günther Beckstein, Bavarian State Minister of Interior; between 9:20 to 10.00 there will also be a meeting with Mrs. Uschi EID, Parliamentary State Secretary, and Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development at 17.00 to 17.30 the same day. For both meeting we will offer a photo opportunity at the beginning. After the meeting with the Bavarian State Minister of Interior, Mr. Steiner will also give a statement.
One last thing to announce is that we will send you the SRSG speech that he is making to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, and we will sent it out to you as soon as possible.
KFOR Spokesperson Major Will Beckman
Good Morning ladies and gentleman. I am Major Will Beckman from AFSOUTH
in Naples, Italy and I will be covering the next two press conferences.
Before I review this week’s activities, I want to remind you that
KFOR suffered a tragic loss on Sunday morning. Two US soldiers serving
in MNB East died when their AH-64 helicopter crashed near Novo Brdo. COMKFOR
General Mini and all of us at KFOR regret the loss of these fine soldiers
and our thoughts and prayers are with their families. What caused the
crash is the subject of a thorough investigation.
The loss of a single soldier, sailor, airmen and marines is unfortunate,
particularly when one remembers that these men and women are giving their
time, energy, and sometimes their own lives in pursuit a safe and secure
environment for all the people of Kosovo.
Over the past week KFOR operations in conjunction with UNMIK-P and KPS,
have resulted in the confiscation of the following illegal weapons and
ammunition:
· 17 Rifles and pistols
· 1 support weapon
· 2 Grenades/Mines
· 160 Miscellaneous military items
· 4700 Rounds of ammunition
About the crime in Obilic last week, KFOR condemns this barbaric act.
In response to this crime, KFOR forces soon increased up patrols in the
area along with UNMIK-P and the KPS. Additionally KFOR troops have been
emplacing random checkpoints in the area.
KFOR will continue to monitor the situation closely. We will do everything we can to support the police in their investigation and uphold the law in the region. KFOR is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all Kosovars. Let me give some examples of KFOR activities to ensure a safe and secure environment for the K-Serb minority. In the last 24 hours KFOR has conducted the following operations:
In MNB Northeast:
A number of security patrols have been conducted in Serbian communities.
· The French Battalion conducted random security patrols in the
vicinity of K -Serbian communities Svinjare , Banja and Priluzje
· The Danish battalion conducted random security patrols in the
vicinity of K-Serbian areas in upper Suvi-Do
· The Greek battalion conducted random security patrols in the
vicinity of K-Serbian communities Banjka, Slatina, Miroce , Gojbulja and
Grace.
During one of the patrols in Slatina, two K-Albanian men were found in
a field that belongs to a K-Serbian inhabitant of the community. The patrol
checked the individuals, who didn’t have identity cards. The individuals
were detained and handed over to the police.
A search operation was conducted in the K Albanian villages of Clavotina
and Bencuk
In Prilujze three individuals attempted to enter the K-Serbian community. As they saw a battalion patrol they escaped. An UNMIK police patrol that was near the area was informed and went to the spot.
In MNB Centre:
Two search operations were conducted in Slovinje and Mali Alas by the
Finnish battalion. Two targets (a total of three houses) were searched
and the following items were found: 1 x M75 Tokarev pistol, 2 x magazines
and 79 pistol rounds. UNMIK-P confiscated the pistol.
A vehicle check point operation started in Obilic at 6 AM this morning
consisting of static and mobile vehicle check points in the outskirts
of the centre of Obilic.
In a search operation in Podujevo, three houses were searched.
One pistol, a gas pistol and 23 rounds of ammunition were found. Police
are investigating.
In MNB East:
In the last 24 hours MNB East conducted 47 patrols along various areas
in support of current operations.
In MNB Southwest:
Patrols have been increased and static guards have been resumed around
Serb settlements. Patrolling and guarding selected sites has been resumed
around the clock.
Additionally, acquiring targets for cordon and search operations is ongoing.
There were some reports indicating that KFOR will no longer escort convoys
from Strpce towards central Serbia. KFOR has not made any such decision
to stop protecting convoys. There are various levels of security that
we provide. Some are more visible than others. The commanders in the respective
MNBs assess the situation and the possible threats and take prudent precautionary
measures to minimize those risks. These decisions are made by the commanders
on the ground--the people who are best informed about the local conditions.
I won’t describe the details of the various security techniques
we employ to provide freedom of movement.
On a more positive note, let me say a few things about the mini Olympics
organized by OPFAKKOS and other NGOs that was held on Friday. For those
of you who missed the event, it was an inspiring to see the participants’
determination to overcome their physical disabilities. It was amazing
to see what they could accomplish with a little assistance. KFOR was proud
to assist OPFAKKOS in highlighting this worthy cause.
On Thursday we will hold a ceremony to commemorate the 4th Anniversary
of KFOR’s arrival in Kosovo. The ceremony will be held on 12 June
at 1100 at KFOR Main HQ Film City. Representatives from international
organizations, diplomats and local authorities will take part along with
CINCSOUTH, Adm. Johnson. We will send out a media advisory with additional
details tomorrow afternoon.
Police Spokesperson Derek Chappell
Finally I would like to remind you that of our confidential hotline, I was somewhat disappointed this morning to see very little coverage in the media of our tips line. The purpose of this is to unable members of the public to contact us with information that they might have on the murder in Obilic, and the successful investigation of that murder should be a prime concern to everybody. So I encourage you, please get coverage to this telephone number as you have seen of the cases that I have highlighted today, we are getting success due to the cooperation with the public, and there is information out there that we would like to tap in to.
EU Spokeswoman Monique De Groot
Water outage
Most of Prishtinë/Priština will be without water for 24hrs from 08:00hrs this morning (Tuesday 10th June).
One of the main water pipelines feeding Prishtinë/Priština (part of the Batllavë/Batlava infrastructure and managed by them) is seriously damaged by illegal water connections. One of these illegal connections burst yesterday to the extent of gushing water at a rate of some 200 liters/sec. This damage has to be repaired and this requires that the pipeline is closed down for about 24hrs.
Whilst the pipeline is down, Batllavë/Batlava will be disconnecting the other illegal connections, some 74, in order to prevent further bursts.
Water
I would like to remind everyone that water is scarce resource and that
it should be used wisely.
I will give you two examples of water usage: a leaking pipe uses up to 6000 liters per hour and a handheld hosepipe uses in 1 hour as much as a family of 4 in one day.
KTA Board / EFC
The KTA board will be meeting this coming Thursday.
On Friday the twelfth session of the Economic and Fiscal Council will be held. Points on the agenda will be among others the Mid-year Review and the initial priority list for spending the surplus. As usual a press release will be send out after the meeting.
Thessaloniki Summit
We are currently planning to organize a media background briefing on the
Thessaloniki Summit for interested media. We will inform you about the
date and time of the briefing shortly.
Questions:
Q: Major Beckman, you mentioned a few cases in which Albanians tried to enter the area inhabited by the Serb Community. Is it a standard thing for KFOR to presume that Kosovo Albanians entering Kosovo Serb Community would lead to crime, and that the communities should be better kept apart?
Derek, regarding the arrest for terrorism, if I remember correctly, the AKSh took responsibility for the incident. Does this mean that the guy you arrested is a member of AKSh, or who did he conspire with to commit this act of murder and terrorism?
Beckman: The short answer is no, but what I also said is that the patrol checked the individuals and they did not have proper identity cards. At that point they were detained and handed over to the police for further police investigation. I have no further information on the final outcome.
Derek: As you know we made the first arrest for terrorism about two weeks ago and this is the second one. This operation is not over, it is continuing, there may be more arrests to come, for this reason I am not going to talk about any possible connections. I will say that these people have been arrested for specific actions that they have committed and that there has been no claim of responsibility by any organization for what they did.
Q: Could you explain that again?
Derek: At the time of the incident at gate 5, the AKSh claimed though their website that the people that were shot were actually members of their organization. The people whom we have arrested have been arrested for specific acts, for which we have evidence that they were committed in Kosovo. Keep in mind that you can plan to commit an act of terrorism without being part of any organization.
Q: From all the briefing you gave us, I understood that that there were
some specific threats against Serb Community in Kosovo, particularly in
MNB north east, because you cited many cases where KFOR patrolled primarily
Serb areas. Is this to reassure the Serb Community or did you act on specific
threats, from a group, individuals against the Serb Community?
And the second question is for the OSCE. Can you say that the rights of
the arrested people until now have been violated? If that is the case,
can someone be held accountable for things which have been happening previously?
Is it UNMIK-Police or the KPS that is responsible for it primarily?
Beckman: KFOR is responsive to the changing security environment and that is what you are seeing - we respond. Part of that is providing security and ensuring a safe and secure environment. We do it through a combination of a proactive approach and showing our visible presence. However, we also respond to intelligence we receive, so it is a combination of both.
Lindholm: It is not specifically that people who are arrested have never been aware of their rights. There have been cases, although I don’t know exactly how many and I can find that out for you, where people were not aware of the fact of having the right to the defense council. It emerged in our reports to the Justice Department of Pillar I that there are cases were the station commander made their people aware that they need to inform the arrested of their rights such as the right to the defense council.
Q: What is happening with these cases that have happened where people were not red their rights?
Derek: I am listening to allegation that officers don’t know the
law and people were not read their rights. You might recall that one and
half year ago we wrote a press release advising everyone throughout Kosovo
that people had now the same legal right as in any democratic country
in the world. When you are arrested you have the right to be told why
you are being arrested, you have the right to a lawyer, you have the right
not to reply to questioning if you chose, you have the right to medical
treatment, to notify somebody you choose, we had posters put up in all
Police Stations in all languages. That training is now part of the basic
training that every international police officer gets when they first
arrive in Kosovo. Similarly, all KPS officers undergo a regular training
in human rights. I don’t think it is correct to say that police
are not aware of their responsibilities and that they do not give people
their legal rights. We have a procedure in place. If anybody thinks that
their legal rights have been violated we have a very specific body within
the police on ethical standards, which investigates whether the correct
procedure was followed. There is also a second safeguard for people who
go to trial. Under this legal system, investigations are always supervised
by an investigating judge. So if the defendant or the suspect who has
been arrested has not been advised about his rights it will be raised
by the investigating judge or the trial judge at any stage of the court
proceedings. Then the judge can then make a ruling on whether or not the
evidence has been fairly obtained or legally admissible. I think there
are considerable safeguards in place in this matter.
Q: Are you talking about only persons that gets arrested or also for those
who are detained?
Derek: The person is arrested whenever their liberty is taken away from them, but the police have the right to talk to anybody during investigation. The citizen taken to custody, has the right to be told why he has been taken to custody. The citizen also has the responsibility in a democratic system to cooperate with the police freely. Now for example if an officer goes to let’s say a grenade attack scene in Prishtina. The officers have the right to go to anybody that they might have seen on the street and ask them ‘did you see anything’ ‘did you see anything suspicious’ ‘what do you know about this’. The process of an arrest can start at any time on reasonable grounds. Taking somebody into custody is an arrest process, you can take him to the police station to be charged. Let me clarify our terminology: if you are put in the back of a police car, if you are taken to the police station, if you are put in handcuffs, if you are not free to leave because your liberty has been taken from you by an officer, you are under arrest. If you are detained under arrest, it is the same thing - you have the right to be told why you are being held. But keep in mind that the arrest can be ended when it is clear that you are not involved in a crime. There are specific reasons why we may keep somebody in custody and take them to the police station for further investigation, such as for example that somebody does not have any identification documents so we have to establish your identity. Does that explain.
Q: Is this 23-year-old Albanian?
Derek: Yes he is.
Q; Do you know whether the person who was previously arrested for terrorism has got a lawyer?
Derek: The person that we previously arrested went to court within 72 hours and was given a 30 days period of detention by a judge. Of course he would have legal representation, we couldn’t possibly take somebody to court and offer reasons for him to be detained for 30 days without a defence council to argue against our evidence.
Q: His name hasn’t surfaced anywhere in the media and usually lawyers are the first to give the names of their clients to the journalists while defending them.
Derek: It has always been our policy to not to give the names of people until they are formally charged and people are considered innocent until they go to trial. If there is a trial, everybody is welcomed to come and cover it, give the evidence and inform your viewers and your readers.
Q: Does UN have a clue who is going to be the new UNMIK administrator?
IzaK: No we don’t know yet. But we will inform you when we have such information