WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2797/98 by Leonie van BLADEL to the Commission. Abductions in Kosovo
29. 4. 1999 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 118/145 Will the Commission urge the parties to the conflict to make it possible for journalists to do their job without interference and develop instruments for monitoring this? Will the Commission urge the Albanian leaders to arrange for the immediate release of Djuro Slavuj and his chauffeur Perinic, or for their bodies to be returned to their families immediately? (1999/C 118/181) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2797/98 by Leonie van Bladel (UPE) to the Commission (17 September 1998) Subject: Abductions in Kosovo Since the beginning of the year, the so-called Kosovo Liberation Armyí (UCK) has abducted 171 people in Kosovo: not only Serbs and Montenegrins but also Albanians, Roma (gypsies) and others. 31 have subsequently been released and 7 have escaped. 15 (mainly Albanians, but also including several police officers) are known to have been murdered after their abduction. The fate of 118 civilians and 10 police officers is unknown. Representatives of such organisations as the ICRC and UNHCR have asked the UCK for information about them, so far without success. It has since become clear, as reported in the international media on Saturday, 29 August 1998, that the UCK has murdered 22 people (including women and children) in the village of Klecka near Pristina and burned them in a lime kiln. In view of this outrage, what has the Commission done or will it do to secure the immediate release of all the hostages? Joint answer to Written Questions E-2796/98 and E-2797/98 given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (20 October 1998) The most serious problems involving freedom of movement in Kosovo are those experienced by humanitarian aid agencies, which are being denied the access they need to provide aid to the victims of the conflict. Foreign journalists have also faced similar problems (refusal of visas, expulsion, harrassment and attacks). Most such difficulties have been caused by Serbian police and security forces, although the Kosovo Liberation Army has also been responsible for incidents. The Union and the Organisation for security and cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have already voiced concerns and the Commission notes, furthermore, that there is a general lack of respect for fundamental rights › including freedom of speech and freedom of the media › in Serbia and Kosovo. The Commission fully agrees that the parties to the conflict should enable journalists to perform their task without interference. The Commission is not itself in a position under the present circumstances, to develop instruments for monitoring this, but would note that the international Kosovo diplomatic observer mission, in which the Member States participate, also reports on this aspect of the conflict. The Commission condemns all abductions in Kosovo, by whatever side and whatever the ethnic origin of those abducted, and calls for their immediate release. Alleged war crimes are under investigation by the Kosovo diplomatic observer mission and there is also an outstanding request to the Belgrade authorities by the international community to allow a team of international forensic experts to begin work in Kosovo. Their work would also be of use to the International criminal tribunal for former Yugoslavia. Initial investigations at Kleca have revealed no evidence of a mass grave. Furthermore, there is considerable controversy as to whether such incidents have been stage-managed or not, given the importance of psychological operations to both sides and the presence of the international media