Albanians want war crimes suspects freed

Albanian municipal deputies from Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa in southern Serbia want the members of the so-called Gnjilane Group released.

Izvor: B92

Monday, 26.01.2009.

09:24

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Albanian municipal deputies from Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja in southern Serbia want the members of the so-called Gnjilane Group released. The ten ethnic Albanians, former members of the KLA, were detained in December on charges of war crimes committed in 1999 in the Gnjilane region. Albanians want war crimes suspects freed The suspects were arrested in a MUP raid one month ago and charged with the kidnapping of 159 Serb civilians and torturing and killing of at least 51. The Albanian deputies sent their demand in the shape of a joint declaration adopted on Sunday evening, and announced a new protest in Presevo for Monday. Some 3,000 ethnic Albanians gathered today, demanding the release of the group of war crimes suspects. The declaration was read at the gathering, saying that the security situation in the region "raises concern and has a tendency of deteriorating". Unlike the previous two demonstrations, today's gathering was be organized by the Assembly of Albanians Members of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja Municipalities – an organization that our reporter says local ethnic Albanians consider "the highest political body". Yesterday, 66 deputies met and demanded "unconditional release" of the ten suspects, in what was described as "the sternest demand since 2001 and the Serb-Albanian conflict". Another demand of the Albanian representatives is for MUP Gendarmerie and special police units to "definitely leave southern Serbia". They also want "all the crimes committed against Albanians in southern Serbia from 1999 until 2001 to be solved in the presence of international community representatives", and to have amnesty for the former members of the so-called Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja Liberation Army (Albanian: UCPMB) respected. The armed group was an offshoot of the KLA which in the wake of the Kosovo war in 1999 launched attacks against Serbian security forces, killing and wounding policemen, civilians and also UN observers on the Kosovo side of the administrative line. An internationally brokered peace deal in 2001 ended the hostilities in the region, known as the Presevo Valley. Albanians protest in Presevo (Beta)

Albanians want war crimes suspects freed

The suspects were arrested in a MUP raid one month ago and charged with the kidnapping of 159 Serb civilians and torturing and killing of at least 51.

The Albanian deputies sent their demand in the shape of a joint declaration adopted on Sunday evening, and announced a new protest in Preševo for Monday.

Some 3,000 ethnic Albanians gathered today, demanding the release of the group of war crimes suspects.

The declaration was read at the gathering, saying that the security situation in the region "raises concern and has a tendency of deteriorating".

Unlike the previous two demonstrations, today's gathering was be organized by the Assembly of Albanians Members of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa Municipalities – an organization that our reporter says local ethnic Albanians consider "the highest political body".

Yesterday, 66 deputies met and demanded "unconditional release" of the ten suspects, in what was described as "the sternest demand since 2001 and the Serb-Albanian conflict".

Another demand of the Albanian representatives is for MUP Gendarmerie and special police units to "definitely leave southern Serbia".

They also want "all the crimes committed against Albanians in southern Serbia from 1999 until 2001 to be solved in the presence of international community representatives", and to have amnesty for the former members of the so-called Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa Liberation Army (Albanian: UCPMB) respected.

The armed group was an offshoot of the KLA which in the wake of the Kosovo war in 1999 launched attacks against Serbian security forces, killing and wounding policemen, civilians and also UN observers on the Kosovo side of the administrative line. An internationally brokered peace deal in 2001 ended the hostilities in the region, known as the Preševo Valley.

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