THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, May 3 (Hina) - At the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic before the Hague Tribunal, Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova on Friday testified how in 1998 and 1999 he warned Milosevic and his closest
associates Milan Milutinovic and Nikola Sainovic of the oppression and other crimes against Kosovo Albanians and asked them to stop the violence against his people.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, May 3 (Hina) - At the trial of former Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic before the Hague Tribunal, Kosovo
President Ibrahim Rugova on Friday testified how in 1998 and 1999 he
warned Milosevic and his closest associates Milan Milutinovic and
Nikola Sainovic of the oppression and other crimes against Kosovo
Albanians and asked them to stop the violence against his
people.#L#
Amongst other things, Rugova testified that following the
commencement of NATO strikes in 1999, armed Serbian military police
kept him under house arrest in Pristina and from there took him to
meetings in Belgrade in an attempt to discredit him politically and
cause division amongst Kosovo Albanians.
Rugova said that he was forced to sign public statements against his
will following talks with Milosevic and his associates.
Because he was unable to be politically active in Kosovo, Rugova
constantly demanded that he and his family be released from house
arrest so that they could emigrate abroad. Following international
diplomatic efforts this was achieved on May 5, 1999 while his
departure to Italy was preceded by one more visit to Milosevic who
placed a condition for his departure demanding that Rugova's family
remain behind in Pristina, which he rejected.
Several times during the trial, Milosevic has stated that the
Serbian police saved Rugova from an assassin who was deployed by one
of the Kosovo liberation army (OVK) leaders, Hashim Thaci and so
that was why he was sent to Italy.
Rugova described how in 1996 with the mediation of a humanitarian
organisation, Holy Eugidio, both of them signed an Agreement on
Education in Kosovo. The agreement was never implemented. Rugova
testified how at the peace talks in Rambouilleu in 1999, the Serbian
side never seriously intended to reach an agreement.
Rugova further described how during his first encounter with
Milosevic on May 15, 1998, in Belgrade he warned of the repression
in Kosovo to which Milosevic replied, that the state was compelled
to respond because terrorism was involved. Rugova then led a
negotiation team that included Mahmut Bakalli, Veton Surroi and
Fehmi Agani who was later killed in 1999.
Milosevic's cross examination began a little before the
adjournment for lunch with a question whether Rugova was aware that
the international community had used him personally and Kosovo
Albanians as a means of opening issues of interest for the super
powers.
"No, they came to defend human rights and to save us from massacre
that came from Belgrade and you," Rugova responded.
In his cross examination, Milosevic attempted to prove the
terrorist nature of the OVK and that they were financed with drug
money.
Milosevic asked Rugova if he truly believed that Serbia would
release Kosovo and Metohija. Rugova responded that he believed
Belgrade would and should release Kosovo.
(hina) sp sb