UN envoy condemns attack on Kosovo Serbs
JUNE 16 -- The head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner, today condemned yesterday's tragic incident in which two Kosovo Serbs were killed and another injured in a mine attack.In a statement issued by UNMIK, Dr. Kouchner said this was the second incident in which Kosovo Serbs have been killed by mines. The latest incident occured near the village of Lepina, south-west of Pristina. On 2 June, outside the village of Preoce, also south-west of Pristina, two Kosovo Serbs were killed and three others injured.
Dr. Kouchner expressed his satisfaction that the presidents of both the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Mr. Ibrahim Rugova, and the Peoples Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Mr. Hashim Thaci, had visited the scene of the incident and condemned the crime.
Meanwhile, the Interim Administrative Council agreed to a draft Press Code of Practice for Kosovo. The temporary code follows concerns over the performance of some newspapers in Kosovo. In the latest incident, Dr. Kouchner on 3 June ordered the temporary closure of a newspaper which had published an article that had put at risk the life of a Serb UNMIK staff member, who was subsequently founded murdered. Petar Topoljski was murdered not long after the publication of his address and photograph together with an article accusing him of crimes against Albanians in the newspaper 'Dita.'
The code, based on existing European standards of journalistic practice, is intended to become the foundation of a system of self-regulation for the print media in Kosovo.
UN official in Kosovo says more Serb judges will "balance the scales of justice"
JUNE 14 -- The United Nations regional administrator in Mitrovica today underlined the need for more Serb judges to step forward and participate in efforts to establish the rule of law in the divided city in northern Kosovo.William L. Nash stressed that while he recently had sworn in one Serb municipal judge and three lay judges, many more were needed to help "balance the scales of justice." In past weeks more than 50 Albanian lay judges had been sworn in for duty in Mitrovica.
At present, 66 detainees -- 38 of them Serbs -- are being held in the Mitrovica Detention Centre awaiting trial. Many have been in jail for months while investigations continued into charges against them. Efforts to begin trials have been delayed, however, because of the need for Serbs to serve in the judicial process.
"It is imperative for the judiciary to have the resources available so that everyone is assured of a fair and just hearing," Mr. Nash said. "For this to happen, there is a need for all qualified citizens from all communities to be involved."
The first trial in Mitrovica of two Serbs facing charges of genocide, which began 6 June, will resume 3 July and "with Serb participation, we can soon begin more trials," Mr. Nash said.
UN mission in Kosovo puts off visit of former Albanian president for security reasons
JUNE 14 -- The head of the UN Interim Administration in Kosovo, Dr. Bernard Kouchner, today said he stopped former Albanian president and leader of the opposition from visiting Kosovo for security reasons. Mr. Sali Berisha's proposed visit was to start today."I prefer that his visit be postponed in this period of tension with some particular threats," her told journalists in Pristina. He said he had written to Mr. Berisha to come in "good conditions."
Dr. Kouchner said he had sent the UN representative in Albania to meet Mr. Berisha. He also wrote to him yesterday, requesting him to postpone his visit as it could pose a threat to public peace and order because of the volatile security situation in the territory.
Dr. Kouchner also disclosed that he had invited Czech President Vaclav Havel, whom he described as "one of my most important role models," to visit Kosovo "to see our work."
"You of all people may be able to appreciate the difficulties of our challenging job and to understand, as a fellow human rights campaigner, the painstaking road to progress in restoring tolerance and peaceful co-existence," Dr. Kouchner said in an open letter.
UN prosecutor releases report on NATO air raids against Yugoslavia
JUNE 13 -- The Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia took an unusual step today by making public the report that led to her recent decision not to open a criminal probe into any aspect of NATO's 1999 air campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.The decision to release the report, which is now posted on the Tribunal's Internet site, follows Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte's announcement earlier this month that after examining all available material she had found no basis for opening an investigation into any of the allegations that NATO personnel and leaders may have committed war crimes during the air raids.
The statement issued today by the Hague-based UN tribunal said that it was not the Prosecutor's normal practice to make public the details about allegations received but not investigated -- a policy designed to protect innocent persons whose good reputation could be damaged by public disclosure that they are being investigated for serious crimes.
The NATO air campaign, however, did not raise such considerations, the Tribunal said, adding that there had already been considerable public debate about the allegations. Under such circumstances, unforeseen when the Tribunal had first come into existence, the Prosecutor took the unusual step of making her reasoning public.
The decision not to open a probe was announced by Ms. Del Ponte in her address to the Security Council on 2 June. Her conclusion was based on a months-long analysis of various complaints, allegations and information received by the Prosecutor's Office from various sources, including academic writers, lawyers acting on behalf of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and a Russian Parliamentary Commission. In addition, a number of reports and commentaries on the bombing campaign have been published by human rights organizations and others, including a recent Amnesty International report.
The allegations and supporting material were examined by a group of military and legal experts, according to the Tribunal. As part of the assessment, the Prosecutor's team also conducted an extensive review of all information released by NATO on a broad range of attacks on targets in Kosovo and throughout Serbia, as well as additional material provided by NATO about specific incidents.
The resulting body of information was then collated, allowing each incident or allegation to be analyzed in terms of international humanitarian law, particularly the requirements of the law concerning modern air warfare, the Tribunal said. That analysis led the Prosecutor to the conclusion that although some mistakes had been made by NATO, she was satisfied that there was no deliberate targeting of civilians or unlawful military targets by NATO during the campaign.
Kosovo administrative body discusses electoral rules
JUNE 13 -- Kosovo's Interim Administrative Council (IAC) today discussed the upcoming municipal elections, as the territory marked the first anniversary of the arrival of the UN mission.Noting that the draft regulation on municipalities was being finalized and would be introduced to the IAC in the near future, the head of UN Interim Administration Mission for Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr Bernard Kouchner, said the municipal bodies would be the first interim institutions to be established by the elections.
The IAC was also briefed by the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Daan Everts, on the latest discussions in the Central Election Commission and Political Parties Consultative Forum. Mr. Everts said the Commission and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe had recommended a proportional, rather than majority system, as it would enable the participation of a greater number of political and minority parties to be represented in the municipal assemblies.
Mr. Everts distributed the draft Code of Conduct for print media, which the IAC will discuss at its meeting on Friday.
Earlier, Dr Kouchner briefed the IAC on his recent discussions with the UN Security Council and proposed that the IAC go to New York for the next Security Council session on Kosovo.
Dr. Kouchner also thanked the Kosovo Albanian IAC members for their strong statements issued last week on the recent violence against Serbs. He reminded them that their continued leadership was needed to break the cycle of violence.
