In addition the report refers to increased tension "following the ICJ ruling on Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence" in September 2010. After "several grenade attacks and the killing of Hakif Mehmeti (a Kosovo Albanian civil society activist living in the Bosnjacka Malhala) on 7th. September ... Albanians in north Mitrovica requested additional protection. A Serbian Kosovo Police officer was arrested three days later." ... "In the same month an ethnic Albanian baker was physically attacked three times," in the mainly Serb populated municipality of Zvecan: His shop was "damaged by an explosive device."
Under the topic 'Accountability', the Amnesty report addresses unsuccessful complaints forwarded by the families of two Kosovo Albanian citizens, "who were killed by Romanian (UN) police" officers, and by two further Kosovo Albanians "who were seriously injured", during a demonstration on 10th. February 2007 in Kosovo's capital city Prishtina. The responsible Romanian officers were said to have shot at protestors by using prohibited versions of gum bullets, containing a special iron core. The accused officers were broad out of the country, the case was not further investigated.
Another unsuccessful complaint - still pending since five years - refers to "143 internally displaced Roma and Ashkali residents of UNMIK-administered camps in northern Mitrovica ... they had suffered lead poisoning and other health problems due to contamination of the camps where they had lived since 1999."
Finally in terms of discrimination, Amnesty International refers to the disadvantaged situation of minorities, particularly "Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians" who are said to have "experienced cumulative discrimination, including in access to education, health care and employment" as well as "adequate housing". According to Amnesty also "women and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people" suffer from discrimination. The report emphasizes, that "Protection orders in domestic violence cases failed to provide adequate protection or were not issued. Violations of such orders were rarely prosecuted."
As far it concerns the Serbian past in Kosovo, Amnesty International in its current report underlines the case of former Assistant Interior Minister Vlastimir Dordevic at the Den Haag Tribunal:
Vlastimir Dordevic was "indicted or crimes against humanity and war crimes in Kosovo. He was charged with crimes leading to the deportation of 800,000 Albanian civilians, the enforced disappearance of more than 800 ethnic Albanians, and leading a conspiracy to conceal their bodies by transporting them to Serbia for reburial."
Article comments
1 - Betty
Actually they are right. Kosovo is a province in Serbia.
2 - Korrik Sofalia
Well, good luck already 75 UN member states recognize Kosovo as an independent state, for good reason taking into account the Serbian regime before - and the reality says this anyway since 12 years - Amnesty should consider this ... I recommend to have a look at Marincovic's statement “Serbia lost Kosovo deservedly” and at Vladimir Arsenijevic's 2007 essay: "Our negroes, our enemies".