ASHKALI COMMUNITY ACCUSES KOSOVO POLICE OF VIOLENCE DURING MARCH RIOTS
KosovaLive / BBC Monitoring - April 30, 2004

Prishtina (Pristina), 28 April: Representatives of the Ashkali community (Albanian-speaking Muslims, related to the Roma) in Vushtrri (Vucitrn) have accused members of the ShPK (Kosovo Police Service) of having used physical violence against them during the riots of 17 and 18 March and of having helped the protesters to attack them. They have also demanded that UNMIK (UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo) authorities help them to emigrate collectively to Canada.

At a press conference organized by the Ombudsman's Office in Kosova (Kosovo), a delegation of eight representatives of the Ashkali community in Vushtrri told journalists today in Prishtina about their experiences during the riots of 17 and 18 March. They also made grave accusations against members of the ShPK, who, they said, had helped the protesters to torch their houses and had physically abused them and their families.

Xhemail Kelmendi, a local leader of this community, said that the police had behaved with brutality against them and even used physical violence.

"Homes of my neighbours were already on fire when a crowd of protesters flooded my home. After breaking in the gates, they started to destroy everything in the yard and then they broke the windows. The police came, but instead of protecting us, they started to question us if we had any weapons. A police officer hit me several times. He threw me on the ground and tied my hands together," Kelmendi said.

Stories of this nature were told by other representatives of the Ashkali community attending the press conference.

The police said that ShPK members risked their lives to help the members of the Ashkali community and that claims by members of this community were not true. (Passage omitted)

The Kosova (Kosovo) government has allocated funds for rebuilding their houses, but the representatives of the Ashkali community no longer want to return to their homes. They demand to emigrate collectively to Canada.

"We know that the government has allocated funds to rebuild our homes, but we do not want to return. We want UNMIK to help us to emigrate to Canada so that we can recover from these experiences," Alush Cizmolli said.

On the other hand, Kosova Ombudsman Marek Antoni Nowicki said that the best solution that he could envisage was to organize a new life for them in their hometown with better Kfor protection.

Source: Kosovapress news agency web site, Pristina, in Albanian 28 Apr 04

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