News: Report Links Top Officials to Organ Harvesting

December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 Issue No. 54 www.prishtinainsight.com Price € 1

ELECTION SPECIAL Prishtina BIRN’s Election Insight Experience: Vote Buying, Electoral Ski Guide Fraud and Intimidation 2010/11 > page 3 The snow is falling and the ELECTION SPECIAL resorts are preparing to Divided on open for another ski sea- Kosovo Election Day son. Prishtina Insight brings you the best the > page 3 has to offer to COMMUNITY FOCUS enjoy the white stuff. Justice in Kosovo See Page 7-10 December 2010 > page 12 Electoral Fraud Fears for One in OPINION Richard Holbrooke, Three Stations across Kosovo Balkan Peacemaker Prishtina Insight has learnt that results from one-in-three polling stations require further investigation for fraud, calling into the question results from the whole country elections had so far centred on the ferred candidates to already filled Ambassadors Shocked By By Lawrence Marzouk extraordinary high turnouts in ballots, distributing blank ballots, two municipalities, and the buying of votes from a café Voter Fraud Gllogovc, 94 and 86 per cent near a polling centre and ballot- he results from Kosovo’s par- Among the observers to have liamentary elections on respectively, both strongholds of box stuffing. discovered serious fraud on elec- TSunday have been cast into Prime Minister Hashim Thaci’s BIRN monitors in the village of tion day were the US, French and doubt after it emerged that serious Democratic Party of Kosovo, Llaushe, Skenderaj, recorded one Swiss ambassadors to Prishtina. discrepancies have been found in which has claimed victory. election official filling in the final at least a third of polling stations But fresh evidence from the voters’ lists, which records the US Ambassador Christopher across Kosovo. Counting and Results Centre, and number of people to have cast Dell said while the process went As Prishtina Insight went to the testimony of BIRN monitors their ballot, between 4pm and smoothly in other areas of the > page 13 press it emerged that the Election across the country, suggest the 7pm. country, fraud was all too obvious Complaints and Appeals Panel problem was much more wide- Another video from the same in the polling station in Skenderaj had ordered revotes in five munic- spread. polling station shows officials where he monitored the vote ipalities. A new election will be BIRN observers found irregu- changing already cast ballots dur- counting. held in two polling stations in larities or were intimidated in ing the count by ticking the names “My security detail overheard Malisheve, 11 in Gllogovc, five in municipalities including Lipjan, of the 'preferred candidates'. them [election officials] say, ‘Call Kosovo’s only English-language Decan, 30 in Skenderaj and one in Prizren and Mitrovica, as well as Kosovo's election law allows vot- KEK to turn off the lights,’” newspaper is available: Lipjan. Gllogovc and Skenderaj. ers to select a party as well as Ambassador Dell said. Allegations of massive fraud These incidents included offi- their five preferred candidates Delivered to during Kosovo’s parliamentary cials adding the name of pre- from the same party. continues page 2 Your Door

New Details Emerge in Kosovo Kosovo Airfares Stay Sky High From Newsstands Organ Trafficking Case Despite Increased Competition across Kosovo

The Medicus clinic, just outside of The growing number of airline opera- Sent To Prishtina, is linked in a Council of tors serving Prishtina’s international air- Your Inbox report to allegations that elements of the port – recently renamed after Adem traded the organs Jashari – has failed to lower, what passen- of prisoners during the 1999 conflict. gers believe to be, excessive airfares. From The council’s human rights rapporteur Airlines are calling on the government our partners reports that there is “credible, to lower airport taxes, which, according to news convergent indications” that... page 5 business them, would lead to a ... page 6 see page 14 for more info

Y M is supported by: C K 2 December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 election special

Editor’s Word Monitoring Mission Splits in Acrimony Two key members of the Democracy in Action team have left the network of civil soci- Nc ose Ec ety monitors amid criticism that it has kept quiet about fraud “stuffed”. It may, therefore, be described the civil society moni- was not done to the level that best to scrap this election entirely tor in his polling station as “very could protect the votes of people,” and start again. By Lawrence Marzouk lackadaisical”. INPO’s letter reads. OK, this will delay the By Petrit Collaku In a statement issued on “We could not process irregular- Prihstina- talks and will Wednesday, KIPRED said the ities to the Election Complaints mean that important decisions coalition’s aim was to observe the and Appeals Panel due to late t is often joked to be the short- are put on hold for even longer, voting and counting process and forms of the observers.” est word in Albanian, but is but confidence in a legitimate, eading think-tank Kosovar it was not meant to serve political INPO called on the coalition to Ialso one of the most widely democratically elected govern- Institute for Policy interests. apologise to Kosovo’s people. used, “tut”, written as ”ncncnc” ment is surely more important. LResearch and Development, “KDI has failed to gather and Ismet Kryeziu, head of KDI and on instant messaging services, is Talk of legitimate governments KIPRED, and NGO Initiative for publish the data derived from the of the coalition, criticised his for- often accompanied by a shaking brings me to the second bomb- Progress, INPO, have quit the elections despite the great num- mer colleagues for their com- or tilting of the head. shellof the week: Dick Marty’s coalition of NGOs which ber of observers on the day,” ments. “Both KIPRED and INPO And after a truly extraordinary opus on organised crime in deployed almost 5,000 monitors KIPRED’s letter of resignation are trying to manipulate the week in Kosovo, for all the wrong Kosovo. on December 12. reads. wider public opinion with their reasons, I have heard and read it The problem with his detailed Both organisations said the The latter stated that KDI information,” Kryeziu said. on Facebook perhaps more than and fascinating report is that leading body of the coalition, monopolised the information and Democracy in Action was wide- ever. none of his very serious allega- Kosovo Democratic Institute, was late in reporting the numer- ly criticised for remaining silent The elections, as I wrote last tions are backed up verifiable KDI, failed to properly report ous irregularities and vote after publishing the preliminary week, were to be a test of the sources in the report itself. If his irregularities during the election manipulations. results on Monday morning and country’s infant institutions and suggestions are true, their place process and had not provided “With regret, we announce that for stopping their count at 51 per their ability to organise a nation- is in a court of law where evi- objective reporting. we could not do our job properly cent of the data. They have yet to wide, parliamentary poll in just 40 dence is presented and defendants The criticism comes as the US, as we did not have direct access to release further figures. days. have the right to argue their side. French and Swiss ambassadors to observers in the field,” KIPRED’s He said that his organisation The trip to the ballot box, per- The Group’s involve- Kosovo also slammed the organi- letter reads. “Information’s that had submitted complaints on haps more importantly, would ment in organised crime was also sation for failing to detect fraud we had from the call centre has Skenderaj and Gllogovc. also bring into focus the political documented in the 2005 German in Skenderaj, where all three men been sparse, generalised and rela- “You know that there was a class’ commitment to democracy. secret service report which is were monitoring the count. tivised.” short time to submit appeals,” he While the first test passed off available for all to read on They called on Democracy in INPO said that KDI had violat- added. relatively well, the evidence that Wikileaks. It names Thaci and co, Action to no longer deploy local ed the basic principles of the The coalition is preparing a six- has since emerged about mass as well as a string of opposition staff to hotspots. coalition. “We think that the main page report on its findings for fraud demonstrates that elements politicians, including Ramush US Ambassador Chris Dell job of observation and reporting January. of the ruling elite, if one can call Haradinaj, as major players in it that, particularly but not solely organised crime. the Democratic Party of Kosovo, But this was a leaked intelli- Electoral Fraud Fears Spread Across Kosovo PDK, believe the voice of the peo- gence document, not a published from page 1 dents of a municipality to work International Officials: ple is not worth listening to. report from a respected institu- as commissioners at polling sta- I almost crashed my car when I tion. Nothing came of that report, “The generator of the school tions to avoid a repeat. Fraud Must Be heard the turnout figures for and I expect nothing to come of came on and the lights were off “The results for the winning Investigated Skenderaj. The idea that 94 per Dick Marty’s report, apart from only on our floor.” party will, to a certain extent, cent of those eligible to vote did the blackening of Kosovo’s name. When Dell realised that the be tainted in the eyes of many An election official told so is simply unfathomable given Whether the claims are true or number of votes cast was differ- people,” he said. “We need to get Prishtina Insight that the com- the number of dead people and not, there appears to be insuffi- ent to the number of people who credible results.” mon thread among the problem- emigrants on the voters’ list. cient evidence and certainly insuf- had signed the voters’ list, the Both Dell and Beglinger atic boxes is that the “maths do The scale of the fraud suggests ficient will among the interna- election officials turned to him to called for a change in mentality not add up”, especially for the that either it was a coordinated tional community to follow up on ask “how they should fix it?” among Kosovo society to combat candidate results forms. action put in place by someone such serious allegations going to Despite a member of the this type of fraud. “It could be training, it could stupid enough to believe that no the very top. Municipal Election Commission “Kosovars as a whole need to be that changes in the election one would notice industrial-scale This all, of course, emerged at arriving to deal with the discrep- look at themselves and reflect law have meant that voters are fraud, or that every individual the same time as the start of the ancy, it later emerged that the on this,” Dell said. “What we confused, but some of the dis- polling station in Drenas and Medicus organ trafficking trial – results had again been changed, saw on Sunday was not the dis- crepancies are so large that it has Skenderaj independently decided where hard evidence exists to sug- according to Dell. ease, it is a symptom of a much to be deliberate,” he said. that massive ballot-box stuffing gest that one of most disgusting Swiss Ambassador Lukas more serious and widespread He added that were final was its patriotic duty. cases I have ever come across was Beglinger said: “I can confirm disease in the body politic.” results to be released before these If these “irregularities” (the committed on Kosovo’s soil in an impression of an organised Beglinger added: “We are in major discrepancies are resolved, euphemism is painful) had been 2008. and collusive effort of vote-rig- front of a problem of a society: they would not be credible. confined to just one region of the If you read only the interna- ging. We were not welcome and, which lacks a culture of rule of A senior international diplo- country, they could be passed off tional media, Kosovo is a place of of course, the lights were law. People do not have a sense of mat told Prishtina Insight that as localised problems. massive electoral fraud, where turned off when we arrived. lawfulness and unlawfulness.” the electoral fraud must be But information coming political leaders are also organ- They went on again after five He also suggested that the resolved quickly, and Thaci must through to us from the Counting ised crime bosses, and its doctors minutes.” out-of-date electoral roll may clean up his government if he is and Results Centre suggests that are knee-deep in organ traffick- Dell added that the vote-rig- have been exploited in other to avoid “international revulsion there are major problems across ing. ging process appeared to be well areas of the country. “When you and popular anger”. Kosovo. We all know this be a grossly organsied. “The really trou- have plenty of deceased people “Momentum is the key – this Along with horrible and intimi- unfair portrayal of the country, bling thing is the way that all on those lists and lots of people week may be the last chance for dating militancy on the day, the but there are, unfortunately, ele- the elements of the process living abroad, this is a major five to ten years to get Kosovo usual power cuts and the near col- ments of truth in all of those from commissioners, to civil tool for vote-rigging,” he said. back on track,” he said. lapse of the local monitoring statements. society, to the political parties, “It may be that this kind of rig- Central Election Commission coalition, Democracy in Action, So, what to do? Well, in my to the municipal commission ging we have seen has [also] hap- head Valdete Daka said at a meet- yesterday, you get an election humble opinion it’s time for the worked this out together,” he pened elsewhere.” ing on Wednesday that the over- which has lost all credibility, espe- vast majority of good honest said. “This kind of fraud would French Ambassador Jean all quality of the elections had cially given that the winners, the Kosovars to stop swap the ‘nc’ for not be possible if just one per- Francois Fitou said that French been confirmed by international PDK, appear to be the major cul- ‘Ec!’, which means “Walk!” son or one party were involved members of parliament who observers, but admitted that prits in the most affected munici- I’m not calling for a revolution, in it, this was a joint effort.” accompanied him on his moni- there had been irregularities. palities. but the reputation of the country He said that 12 out of 70 toring mission were threatened Only the PDK has accepted all We need, at the very least, a can only be restored in the long polling stations in Skenderaj by election officials. of the preliminary results issued complete recount of votes and a run with credible elections and a recorded turn-outs above 100 “My MPs were physically by the CEC. Other parties have close scrutiny of all the paper credible government. per cent. threatened,” he said. “The whole said that they will not accept work. But this risks recounting Tutting in private is no longer Dell called for a change in the process was both chaotic and some, or all, of the current results ballots that have in fact been enough. election law to allow non-resi- obviously flawed.” and have called for a revote.

Y M C +381 38 602042, +377 44 243367, +386 49 243367 K election special December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 3 BIRN’s Election Experience: Vote Buying, Electoral Fraud and Intimidation Here is a first-hand account of the experience of BIRN’s 15 monitoring teams, which observed the election process across Kosovo Skenderaj of observers from the European Prizren Parliament. n Laushe, The observer, by the The Head of this voting centre In polling station 2006a in Tusus name of Liridon Geci, told me very openly stated: “Why the hell suburb, the AAK coordinator had Irepeatedly not to take notes, are you here, we would have at a gun on him. In the afternoon, the informing me it goes without say- least filled in these empty ballots if person was arrested by Prizren ing that the PDK will win here and you were not here?” units and his weapon was letting me know that if I dare to Another irregularity recorded confiscated. speak out then not even the police outside of this polling station was Later, the BIRN team saw the could help me. After receiving this the purchase of votes. person again in the same voting threat I contacted the police in the In the Patisserie – Café Place centre, and, only thanks to them centre. The police explained that “Paris” located close to this the district prosecutor had and thanks to the intervention of polling station a group of people the Swiss ambassador who was ordered this. was seen buying votes from the present, was I able to continue Another irregularity is that a youngsters hanging around out- monitoring in this centre. PDK commissioner asked the side. One irregularity concerned the BIRN observers to leave polling We saw in this premise at falsified signatures in polling sta- station 2006a 01R during the count- around 4.10pm one of the buyers tion 2215B/003. As can be seen in ing process so that manipulation bringing people in by pairs, BIRN’s video, available at balka- of the votes would become easier. instructing them to vote for cer- ninsight.com. This was rejected by the team. tain candidates. From a table close After the official closure of the During the counting process, no obtained from the commissioners, have no exact number) appeared to ours we heard this dialogue: voting centre, when the counting observer was allowed to get close who wish to remain anonymous, inside the box folded two by two A: Do you know the numbers? of ballots began, everybody was enough to see the ballots. When around 30 per cent of the ballots in which makes us suspect that there B: Yeah, yeah. free to enter and leave the centre the observer of Vetëvendosje the box belong to people who were were voters who were given two A: 5 euro. whenever they wanted. wanted to have a look the commis- physically absent from Kosovo but ballots for voting; It was not clear whether they During the process of counting sioner threatened him in front of whose votes were cast on their Counting of votes for individual said 5 euro for the ballot or for in voting centre 2115B/02R, one of all of us, ordering him to sit in the behalves up to ten times over. candidates was done alongside each candidate. the LDD candidates, Gani Geci, corner of the room. We need to During the counting, it adding votes for certain candi- We also saw a person enter the appeared and informed us how the reiterate that there were manipu- appeared that ten ballots were dates of the PDK for those ballots premises and show a video to the process was going. lations in this voting centre blank. Political party representa- with less than five indicated candi- vote-buyer. The final irregularity recorded tives decided to split these dates. despite our presence. in another video was that for peo- amongst themselves; five went to A number of regular votes for ple who had only voted for a politi- the PDK and the rest were divided LDK which had more than 5 candi- cal party, the commissioner of the amongst other parties. dates indicated on the list were PDK himself added the names of At the end of the vote counting, immediately announced as invalid Preliminary Results of Kosovo’s candidates. at 10pm, another 120 extra votes while PDK votes with more than December 12 Election emerged for candidates. Party mil- five names indicated were counted Lipjan, itants were allowed to enter the as regular votes. centre at that point and mark votes In the village of Shalë/Salja, at for certain candidates on the ballot Mitrovica the primary school Ibrahim sheets. Banushi, according to observers, In the voting centre 1102b / 03r, one person had already voted Drenas during the counting process, the three times by 6.30pm, while at head of the centre secretly indicat- 6:35pm he was seen making his At the Primary school Rasim ed candidates on five ballots for way to the polling booth for the Kicina, a considerable number of the LDD and AAK. This happened fourth time. Based on information votes-ballot sheets (although we in our presence and the presence Serbs Divided on Kosovo Election Day Despite trouble in northern Kosovo during the run-up to the Kosovo parliamentary election, By Lawrence Marzouk including the murder of a Bosniak election official on Wednesday, the poll passed with- ust two are out major incident. believed to have cast their All stations, which were mostly vote in the country’s trou- J set up in vans, opened at 7am, bled north on December 12. although three were closed early But while the ballot boxes because of protests. remained empty in Kosovo’s Serb- In Banjska, the polling station majority north, voters in Serb was surrounded by a group of enclaves elsewhere turned out en more than 50 Serbs at around mid- masse. day. The road to the village was A monitoring also blocked, two men were team in the Serb-majority area, arrested and the station was around the divided town of moved. Mitrovica, found just two votes Early on Sunday morning, a cast out of a population of 60,000 KFOR office in the northern Kosovo Serbs, as the mobile municipality of Zubin Potok was polling stations closed at 4pm. It is raked by gun fire. believed that around 25 voters Belgrade had told Kosovo Serbs used the mobile stations includ- that conditions were not right for ing other ethnicities. them to vote in the Pristina-run One vote was cast in Leposavic poll, but turnout was high outside and the other in the Bosniak the north, including the Serb Mahala area of Mitrovica. enclaves of Gracanica and Strpce. 4 December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 organ trafficking Report Links Top Kosovo Officials to Organ Harvesting A damning report obtained by Prishtina Insight earlier this week names the Kosovo premier as the boss of a crime gang that sold body parts, carried out assassinations and dealt drugs. Government response

By Michael Montgomery The allegations published and Altin Raxhimi by The Guardian have been "investigated several times criminal network linked to by local and international Kosovo’s Prime Minister judiciary, and in each case, it AHashim Thaci summarily was concluded that such state- executed prisoners and harvested ments have were not based on their kidneys to sell for illicit facts and were construed to organ transplants, Europe’s top damage the image of Kosovo human rights investigator alleges and the war of the Kosovo in a report obtained by BIRN and Liberation Army. the US based Center for Furthermore, it is unaccept- Investigative Reporting. able that the slanders of a Kosovo's government denied the member of the Parliamentary allegations in a statement released Assembly of the Council of on Tuesday evening. The statement Europe should be presented as denounced the allegations as a the opinion of the institution smear campaign against the Kosovo itself, an institution that has Liberation Army and the Kosovo nothing to do with the quoted state. report. The 27-page draft report, It is clear that someone approved unanimously on wants to place obstacles in the Thursday at the Council of way of Prime Minister Hashim Europe’s legal affairs committee, Thaci after the general elec- was pieced together by Dick Marty, tion, in which, the people of a former Swiss prosecutor who Kosovo, placed their clear and spent more than two years conduct- significant trust in him to ing the investigation. Click here to deliver the development pro- Thaci himself has repeatedly the . A recent case to respond to this." read the full report. gram and governance of our denied links to organised crime. In a involved illicit kidney transplants The findings of the Marty report Among the victims referred to in country. 2009 interview he dismissed reports conducted at a clinic in Prishtina, are different to allegations aired in the report were Kosovo Serb and Such despicable and bizarre that KLA operatives ran secret which is now the focus of a criminal a 2008 memoir by Carla del Ponte, Albanian civilians who disappeared actions by people with no detention camps and engaged in investigation. European prosecu- the former prosecutor of the Hague from under the noses of NATO moral credibility, serve the organ trafficking in . tors today filed charges in the case war crimes tribunal, ICTY, in that troops and United Nations officials ends of only those specific cir- following their arrival in Kosovo in The report in a Prishtina courtroom. Marty pinpoints a building in cles that do not wish well to June 1999. alleges that the executions and The Council of Europe alleges Fushe Kruja, just outside of , Kosovo and its people. The report alleges that the organ organ extractions allegedly that the organ trafficking ring was as the site that the alleged organ It is well known locally and trafficking was part of a broader occurred at two locations near the set up by Shaip Muja, a former chief harvesting took place rather than internationally that Dick web of organised crime activities town of Fushe Kruje, 20 kilometres medical officer in the Kosovo the now infamous Yellow House, in Marty has been prejudiced including assassinations and drug north of the Albanian capital, Liberation Army, KLA. Muja is cur- the mountains of northern from the start, has not relied on dealing. The report describes Tirana. Medical personnel who con- rently a top advisor to Thaci. Albania. any fact and arguments, and Thaci’s role in the criminal network ducted the operations in a Asked whether he was part of an The report criticises Western has been determined to report as akin to that of a mafia boss. makeshift clinic arranged to ship organised crime network as alleged countries, including the United favourably on the positions the organs abroad for what’s known in the report Muja told Prishtina States, for failing to take action to expressed by his co-worker and as "cadaver transplantations". Insight on Tuesday: "I have not read combat organised friend Carla del Ponte and the Some operatives in the criminal the report. These are allegations in spite of extensive intelligence Government and politicians of network remained involved in that have been aired for the past ten reports documenting high levels of the Republic of ." www.prishtinainsight.com organ trafficking for a decade after years. I will employ all legal means corruption.

Publisher: BIRN Dick Marty’s Allegations on Organ Harvesting Balkan Investigative Reporting Network t was in the last of the locations discovered ings spoke credibly and consistently of a this property was an ethnic Albanian who in our investigations, Fushe-Kruje, that the methodology by which all of the captives were allegedly shared both clan ties and organised Mensa e Studenteve, first floor Iprocess of “filtering” purportedly reached killed, usually by a gunshot to the head, before criminal connections with members of the 10000, Prishtina its end-point, and the small, select group of being operated on to remove one or more of “Drenica Group”. KLA captives who were brought this far met Kosovo their organs. We learned that this was princi- As and when the transplant surgeons were their death. pally a trade in “cadaver kidneys”, i.e. the kid- confirmed to be in position and ready to oper- Phone: +381 (0) 38 24 33 58 There are strong indications, from source neys were extracted posthumously; it was not ate, the captives were brought out of the “safe Fax: +381 (0) 38 22 44 98 testimonies we have obtained, that in the a set of advanced surgical procedures requir- house” individually, summarily executed by a [email protected] process of being moved through the transitory ing controlled clinical conditions and, for KLA gunman, and their corpses transported sites, at least some of these captives became example, the extensive use of anaesthetic. swiftly to the operating clinic. aware of the ultimate fate that awaited them. Editor-in-Chief: We learned from distinct and independent The surgical procedures thereupon per- In detention facilities where they were held in KLA insider sources about diverse elements formed – cadaver kidney extractions, rather Lawrence Marzouk earshot of other trafficked persons, and in the and perspectives of the organ-trafficking ring than surgeries on live donors – are the most [email protected] course of being transported, some of these in action: on the one hand, from the perspec- common means through which donor organs Editorial Team: captives are said to have pleaded with their tive of drivers, bodyguards and other “fixers” and tissues are acquired for transplant pur- captors to be spared the fate of being “chopped Ana Petruseva, Gordana Igric, who performed logistical and practical tasks poses – except for the criminal method of into pieces”. aimed at delivering the human bodies to the obtaining the cadavers. Eminent organ trans- Jeta Xharra, Marcus Tanner, At the latest when their blood was drawn by operating clinic; and on the other hand, from plantation experts whom we have consulted Petrit Collaku, Inge Baanders, Shengjyl syringe for testing (a step that appears to have the perspective of the “organisers”, the crimi- during our inquiry described these proce- Osmani and Belinda Vrapi been akin to “tissue typing”, or determining nal ringleaders who, as alleged, entered busi- dures to us as efficient and low-risk. levels of organ transplantation compatibility), ness deals to provide human organs for trans- Sources stated that the Fushë-Krujë axis Marketing, Sales & Distribution: or when they were physically examined by plantation purposes in return for handsome was chosen to host these facilities because of men referred to as “doctors”, the captives financial rewards. its proximity to the main airport servicing [email protected] must have been put on notice that they were The practical dimension of the trafficking Tirana. The facilities at the hub of this organ- being treated as some form of medical com- enterprise was relatively simple. Captives trafficking ring – the “safe house” and the Design & Layout: “Rrjeti” modities. Sources described such tests and brought as far as the Fushe-Kruje area (which operating clinic – therefore offered accessibil- Y examinations having been undertaken in both entailed an arduous drive of several hours ity for incoming international visitors and M Printing: Lindi Printing Center Rripe and Fushe-Kruje. onwards from Rripe or Burrel) were first held outgoing shipments alike. C Copyright © BIRN The testimonies on which we based our find- in the “safe house” facility. The proprietor of Extracts from Dick Marty’s report K organ trafficking December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 5 New Details Emerge in Kosovo EULEX Calls for Evidence on Organ Trafficking Case Kosovo Organ Trafficking he EU rule-of-law mission as the alleged site used for organ The trial of seven Kosovo residents suspected of involvement in a massive human traf- in Kosovo, EULEX, has trafficking by the KLA. Tcalled on all those with evi- Marty’s claims linking Kosovo ficking ring in 2008 is being linked to allegations that members of the Kosovo Liberation dence to back up allegations of politicians, including outgoing Army sold the organs of prisoners during the 1999 conflict. organ trafficking and organised Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, to crime, detailed in an explosive organised crime and organ traf- is closely related to the contempo- prosecution says acted as the Council of Report, to come for- ficking have been strenuously rary case of the Medicus Clinic, not gang’s fixer, finding both donors ward. rejected by the Kosovo govern- least through prominent and recipients and handling funds. Chief spokeswoman Karin ment. By Lawrence Marzouk Kosovar Albanian and internation- Both men are currently on the run Limdal told Prishtina Insight She also said that there was no al personalities who feature as co- and Interpol notices have been that the mission had looked into conspirators in both,” he wrote. issued for their arrest. allegations that the so-called evidence linking the current Seven Medicus-linked suspects The organ recipients travelled to Yellow House in northern Medicus case, where seven he Medicus clinic, just outside of appeared in court on Tuesday in Kosovo from countries such as Albania had been used for har- Kosovo stand accused Prishtina, is linked in a Council Prishtina accused of bringing up to Israel, and Poland to vesting the organs of prisoners of being involved in an interna- Tof Europe report to allegations 30 people, plucked from the poorest receive the kidneys. detained by the Kosovo tional organ trafficking ring cen- that elements of the Kosovo Liberation corners of the world, to Kosovo The indictment said the gang Liberation Army, KLA, but had tred on Pristina, and allegations Army traded the organs of prisoners under the false promise that they preyed on the donors’ “extreme found no evidence of the claims that the members of KLA carried during the 1999 conflict. would be paid for their kidneys. poverty” to lure them to Pristina, to date. out similar crimes in 1999. The council’s human rights rap- Among the accused is Dr Lutfi where they had their organs Limdal, however, said she was “We have read the report and porteur Dick Marty reports that Dervishi, a well known urologist, removed but were never paid. not aware of any investigations call on anyone who has proof of there is “credible, convergent indica- who is believed to be the ringleader, The gang was uncovered after a into the unit in Fushe Kruja, these allegations to come for- tions” that the removal of organs and his son Arban, who managed 24-year-old Turkish man, Yiman close to Tirana, which Dick ward and report it to the relevant from prisoners in Albania by the the clinic. Altun, was stopped at the airport Marty, CoE rapporteur, pinpoints authorities.” KLA is “closely related to the contem- Driton Jilta, a former doctor with in November 2008 as he was about porary case of the Medicus clinic”. the OSCE in Kosovo, and Ilir Rrecaj, to board a plane to Istanbul. Marty's report suggests the KLA a former senior health ministry He had been questioned on held Serbs and other captives in official, are also suspected of mis- arrival and had presented a letter secret detention centres in Albania using their public positions. from Medicus claiming that he was and a small number of prisoners Rrecaj is alleged to have issued a in Kosovo for medical treatment. were then transferred to a letter in 2008 giving Medicus the On his departure, however, he makeshift clinic in Fushe Kruja, right to carry out organ trans- admitted that he had donated a just north of Tirana, where they plants, despite a ban in Kosovo on kidney and, after a medical inspec- were shot in the head before their private clinics carrying out these tion, was sent to hospital. kidneys were removed. French restaurant Ici is launching a special Christmas menu operations. Three other doctors are and the UN The Swiss prosecutor declined to with turkey, mulled wine, boeuf Bourguignon and fondu, served also suspected of involvement. Mission in Kosovo officers then detail the links between the case in a festively themed decor. Also sample quality French delica- Five of the men pleaded not raided Medicus, discovering the cies such as Foie Gras and fine cuts of meat, such as entrecote, at “out of respect” for the ongoing guilty, while doctors Islam Bytyqi elderly Israeli recipient in bed as Medicus investigation, but Kosovo’s best French restaurant, Ici. and Sylejman Dulla did not enter a well as expired medicine. Ici also caters for cocktail parties with delicious finger food. Prishtina Insight understands that plea. The recipients, according to the The restaurant is open every day from 8am to 11pm, and on Turkish Doctor Yusuf Sonmez, con- The charges range from people indictment, paid around $90,000 Sundays from 5pm, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. nected to a string of organ traffick- trafficking to the unlawful exercise for the operation. ing cases across the world, is of medical activity. Another doctor named in the believed to be one common thread. According to the indictment, indictment, Israeli national Zaki Marty said evidence he obtained obtained by Prishtina Insight, the Shapira, is described as an unin- “depicts a broader, more complex men brought up to 30 organ donors dicted co-conspirator. organised criminal conspiracy to to Kosovo from countries such as Along with Sonmez, Shapira has source human organs for illicit Kazakhstan, , Russia and been connected to a string of organ transplant, involving co-conspira- Turkey in 2008, promising them trafficking cases across the world. tors in at least three different foreign around $20,000 in exchange for The confirmation hearing was countries besides Kosovo, enduring their kidney. delayed by legal arguments and over more than a decade”. The seven Kosovars were will be reconvened in January “In particular, we found a num- allegedly aided by Dr Yusuf before the EU rule-of-law mission Next to EULEX Farmed ber of credible, convergent indica- Sonmez, wanted for organ traffick- judge. His decision on whether to 044 418 598 or 049 295515 tions that the organ-trafficking ing charges in a series of other hold a full trial will be made with- [email protected] component of the post-conflict countries, and Moshe Harel, an in 15 days of the conclusion of the detentions described in our report Israeli of Turkish origin who the confirmation hearing.

Preparing your 2010 financial statements? Increase the value of your company with a Market Value Appraisal Number One in Kosovo For further information contact: Free consultation www.ireas-ks.com International Real Estate Appraisal Services, LLC Y Prishtina, Kosovo M C K 6 December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 business Kosovo Secures Largest Foreign Investment in Industry The sale of SharrCem, a cement factory in south Kosovo, to Greek company Titan Group has been lauded by one of Kosovo’s most senior diplomats, Pieter Feith, but the move has angered the local mayor was becoming more attractive to foreign investors. “I am happy to see PAK achieve its largest transaction thus far,” he said. “This is also By Lavdim Hamidi the largest foreign direct investment ever in Kosovo’s industrial sector. “This transaction is a significant step in osovo has secured its largest ever for- implementing structural reforms in Kosovo eign investment in industry with the and is a clear signal of Kosovo’s growing K30million euro sale of a cement factor attractiveness for foreign investors.” in Hani i Elezit. The move, however, has infuriated the But the decision to sell SharrCem to the independent mayor of Hani i Elezit, Suma. Greek firm Titan Group has angered the In a letter to Prishtina daily , local mayor Rufki Suma, who has called for he wrote: “The sale of the factory SharrCem The SharrCem complex near Kosovo’s border with Macedonia the transaction to be put on hold until a new has not been made at the time right, has government is formed. working for the interests of the citizens of The plant had been run by Swiss run been completed without a tender, where the municipality.” Holcim from 2000, until its ten year contract Pieter Feith, International Civilian competition was eliminated, and has not He called on international and local insti- ended earlier this year. Representative, said that he was pleased taken into account the requirements of the tutions to suspend the sale until a new gov- Sharrcem is the only cement producer in with the move, which was a sign that Kosovo workers or those municipal institutions ernment is formed. Kosovo and main supplier of cement.

Passengers complain that airfares from Prishtina airport are too high Airfares Sky High Despite Increased Competition Kosovo passengers complain that airfares remain too high, despite the arrival increased competition, including low cost operator EasyJet, while airlines blame the high prices on excessive taxes at the country’s international airport British Airways in Kosovo, told passenger tickets do not cost more Pristhtina Insight that prices are than 30 to 34 euro, depending on based simply on cost and demand. the type of airplane and number By Lavdim Hamidi According to him, Kosovo gov- of seats,” said Ahmeti. ernment should play a vital role in According to him, claims that lowering the costs to airlines and airport taxes affect airfares is a passengers by bringing local taxes message used by a few airlines to he growing number of airline in line with international levies. justify their high costs. operators serving Prishtina’s Idrizi claims that annual taxes The number of flights to and Kosovo's only real Irish Pub... Tinternational airport – for airlines, paid in the form of from Prishtina airport this year, recently renamed after Adem permits to the Municipality of according to Ahmeti, has Jashari – has failed to lower the price of “excessive airfares”. Lipjan, where the airport is locat- increased by 10 to 15 per cent, and In response, airlines are calling ed, are higher than anywhere else he expects the market to grow by on the government to lower air- in the world. He added that in 20 to 30 per cent next year. port taxes, a cut which would be neighbouring countries, airlines “Many new companies have Every Thursday passed on to passengers in the are charged far less and some- entered the market, and they have form of cheaper tickets. times do not have to pay taxes at started to offer lower prices. at 7.30pm But officials at Prishtina’s air- all. “We can mention the company “Taxes at Prishtina EasyJet, which is known for oper- For 20% off all bar food! port deny that taxes are high, charity arguing the claims are part of a International Airport are very ating with cheap prices, as one campaign by airlines to maintain high, especially in comparison example,” said Ahmeti. bumper profits. with the quality and services Despite complaints of high “In April this year, a return offered to passengers and airline prices for airfares and requests flight ticket from Prishtina to companies,” Idrizi said. for tax reductions, the Ministry of Vienna cost me over 600 euro to Lower costs and better facilities Transport said it cannot interfere attend a seminar, while there I met would, Idrizi argues, attract in the prices set by airlines. some participants from Serbia, Kosovo’s diaspora to return home “The Ministry of Transport has who told me that they have paid more often. licensed new companies and has only 180 euro for a return ticket “This would bring higher remit- created stronger competition in from Belgrade,” Naim from tances and higher tourism the market, however the govern- Prishtina told the newspaper. incomes for Kosovo,” he said. ment, in any way, cannot interfere He added that airfares from But Altin Ahmeti, airport in the work of companies to Y Prishtina continue to be too expen- spokesman, dismissed BA’s decrease flight prices,” said M sive for European destinations claims, saying that taxes are not Endrit Shala, advisor to the outgo- C such as and Britain. high. ing minister of Transport, Fatmir K Albion Idrizi, manager of “Including all taxes, taxes for Limaj. ski special December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 7 Prishtina Insight Ski Guide 2010/11

The snow is falling and the resorts are preparing to open for another ski season. Prishtina Insight brings you the best the Balkans has to offer to enjoy the white stuff. Brezovica, a Sleeping Ski investment since the conflict of Where to Eat, Drink and the late 90s and a series of pri- Giant vatisation bids have been held Rest Your Head up because of inter-ethnic poli- rezovica is definitely a lit- tics. Restaurant tle rough around the edges, Brezovica and the surround- Pizzeria Tina Tel. +381 63 61 39 Bbut it, nonetheless, offers 86, igor_nikolcevic@ yagoo.com. ing municipality of Strpce are a amazing value-for-money skiing A Brezovica institution, com- As you stare across the moun- Serb-majority area and attempts by the Prishtina authorities to bining great food and extremely tainsides around the Brezovica sell the resort have been friendly staff. It offers a very wide ski station, the immense poten- blocked. selection of dough-based delica- tial of the place is all too obvi- Skiers will find five chairlifts cies, with just about every imagi- ous, even to the untrained eye. and five ski lifts, which are con- nable topping, and excellent sal- It will, undoubtedly, become a nected to 16 kilometres of slopes ads. Soak up the sun at its pleasant major skiing destination at some with an average length of 3,000 outdoor area, which is usually point in the future, but even metres. But a lack of investment buzzing on sunny days. It’s just a today it is a great place to catch means that just two chairlifts shame that the view is the con- some, cheap ski action and revel and one t-bar lift are actually crete base of a ski lift. The pizzeria in some après-ski fun. working. is a great source of information The most important ski resort But the pistes are wide, pleas- and help to find flats or houses to in Kosovo is the Brezovica Ski ant and varied and you can still rent in Brezovica. Centre, located in the far south enjoy some great skiing and this Signposted from the main road, of Kosovo, in the northwest part bargain basement resort. up a steep and often treacherously of the Shar Mountains, between And if you can make it up on a slippery path. Open 09:00 - 24:00. Kosovo and Macedonia. sunny weekday, you will have the The resort covers altitudes option, although the prices are rel- iguana, there’s not much missing place virtually to yourself. Hotels between 900 and 2,500 metres atively steep. All rooms include for après-ski fun. At the weekend it The resort boasts snow cover The Mountain Motel Tel. +381 and claims to have the best snow modern bathrooms, flatscreen tel- gets smoky and packed, as the for almost 128 days per year, from 638 16 52 56/+381 638 57 68 41. The record in the Balkans. evisions and comfortable beds; young and cool listen to DJs or December until the end of April, best budget option in Brezovica warble out karaoke numbers. It A popular skiing destination apartments have a jacuzzi and and offers good off-piste action. offers small, modern, clean rooms also serves the best macchiato in in the former , it was sleep up to four people. The hotel The seasons here tends to start and suites equipped with a town. Next to Pizzeria Tina. chosen as an alternative site for is just a few paces from the slopes. a little later than other stations kitchen. Open 08:00 - 02:00. the Sarajevo Winter Olympics of Your bags are delivered to the in the Balkans as extra snow is The restaurant is one of the best 1984. rooms by snowmobile. The restau- needed for the slightly rough in Brezovica, serving up typical, These reviews are courtesy of the Slopes for slalom and giant rant has more of the trendy urban slopes to be in good condition for hearty mountain fare from the slalom have been officially regis- feel than rustic mountain lodge Prizren in Your Pocket guide, pro- skiing. Strpce region, strong local brandy tered by the Federation and serves Balkan specialities as viding the best run-down of skiing Ski passes cost from 10 euro and some of the best vistas in the in Brezovica. Released earlier this Internationale de Ski. resort. Don’t be put off by the well some international dishes, a for a one day pass to 400 euro for year, it is available online at But the resort has seen little the whole season. owner’s curmudgeonly rarity in this part of Kosovo. 21 www.prizren.inyourpocket.com, as The ski season is expected to demeanour - Ivan is a very affable rooms (12 doubles 70 euro, 3 triples BREZOVICA a free PDF download and as an start imminently with the and helpful chap. 90 euro, 4 quads 120 euro, 2 apart- iPhone app too. arrival of heavy snow this week. Find it just beyond the chair ments 150 euro). Altitude of the resort -1,718m lifts. 9 rooms (6 doubles 20 euro, 3 Highest Peak - 2,522m Keep your eyes pealed on suites). Bar Hard copies are on sale for 2 Total length of slopes - 16,000m www.njeri.net or Woodlands Hotel Tel. +377 44 44 Fox Pub Tel. +377 44 98 08 euro at Dukagjini bookstore, Dit e Total number of lifts - 3 www.brezovica-ski.com or infor- 44 48/+386 49 44 44 48, 36/+377 44 38 11 11. This venue is Nat, the airport and street kiosks. Number of beginners’ mation. by far the coolest place to hang out Companies, institutions and hotels Y runs (blue slopes)- 1 And, if you want to check out [email protected], in Brezovica. With a selection of can order complimentary copies for M Intermediate (red slopes) - 1 the snow or whether the lifts are www.woodlandhotel- ks.com. The card games, Connect 4, snacks, staff and visitors via C Advanced (black slopes) - 1 working, it is worth visiting the new Woodlands Hotel is by far the IPKO webcam at www..net most comfortable and stylish decent cocktails and even a pet [email protected]. K 8 December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 ski special Kosovo’s ‘Alternative’ Outdoor Sport Destination - Boge Nestled between the mountains of the Valley, at 1,400 metres above sea level, the village of Boge is one of the best places in Kosovo to enjoy the snow lthough it doesn’t offer quite as spec- tacular views as Kosovo’s main ski- Aing destination, Brezovica, Boge has a friendlier feel and almost all its facilities are handily gathered around the ski lifts. It also has a better range of accommo- dation close to the lifts, including two ven- ues which offer beautiful log cabins, perfect for a weekend retreat with a group of friends. A ski pass will set you back 10euro a day, giving you access to the village’s sole lift and around 1km of slopes, with three different paths. The options aren’t particularly varied or challenging for competent skiers, but it’s a fancy. The food at Burri is a bit hit-and-miss, will reach a T-junction, with one road lead- great place for learners and those wanting The cabins offered by Rudi Group and although this is made up for by the cozy feel ing steeply up to the very pleasant summer to practice their rusty descent skills before Relax Rugova book up well in advance for of the place. It’s an excellent venue for some resort of Guri i Kuq and the other to Boge. braving the more difficult terrain at weekends, so plan ahead. warming glasses of Raki after a bracing day The road to Boge is unpaved and becomes Brezovica. The lift is open from 9am to 4pm They offer great accommodation in four- on the pistes. very slippery at this time of year, so a four- every day. to-six people cabins, which include small The restaurant attached to the Rudi by-four is recommended. Good quality equipment can be hired at gardens, kitchens and living rooms. Group is right next to the ski centre and If you don’t have one, snow chains are a Rudi Group and lessons can also be organ- The Relax Rugova cabins are a couple of offers cheap, tasty food, and a healthy dose must, although some attempt the route in ized from this outfit and a few others around minutes drive from the village, whereas of mountain spirit. regular saloon cars. This invariable ends the lift. those of Rudi Group are a few feet from the Boge is around a 45 minute drive from with numerous stops as the cars or minibus- The slopes also offer good sledging oppor- ski slopes, in the middle of the village. , although travel times can vary widely es become stuck in the snow. tunities, although you have to negotiate the If you can’t secure a log cabin, the hotels depending on the weather. It’s worth trying to arrive early, as there often crowded foot of the hill, which is usu- are mostly basic but comfortable. Hotel The road which snakes through the are few passing places along the route and it ally swarming with people enjoying a bar- Burri, for example, offers small but clean Rugova Valley is often snowy at this time of gets very busy on good ski weekends. beque, even in the freezing weather. rooms for 25euro a night with good views year, but is pretty well asphalted and cleared BOGE This area is lit up at night, so you can across the valley, 24-hour electricity and regularly. Altitude of the resort -1,400m enjoy nocturnal sledging, if it takes your shared bathrooms. Some 22km along the route from Peja you Total number of lifts - 1

A warm welcome, comfort and care are part of the service at our hotel.

Woodland hotel is offering more than accommoda- tion and food. Queen's room, sweet rooms, as well as our restaurant, which offers an "attractive atmos- phere to enjoy" our quality service, will make you not want to leave the Woodland Hotel Opened on 15 December

Y M C K ski special December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 9 , Serbia At just a two hours drive from Prishtina, if you have the correct stamp, Kopaonik offers great skiing at decent prices

erbia’s biggest ski resort, kids), Serbia’s biggest ski centre is Kopaonik, offers tourists an expensive option because of the Severything they could expect price and standard of accommoda- from a perfect skiing holiday. tion. A range of improvements have If you don’t mind staying in an been made to the ski centre over apartment or hotel room that the summer, including increased looks exactly the same as it did in capacity of the lifts and the open- its 70s heyday and you are not the ing of two new pistes. type of person that cares an awful The resort is surrounded by a lot about a dedicated service team, beautiful national park and the then there are certainly options in area is renowned for its stunning Kopaonik. Flora in Fauna, as well as its 200 There is a wide variety of hotels days of sunshine which have and apartments available for rent, earned it the nickname of the at prices starting around 40 euro mountain of the sun. You’ll be per night per person, but quality is hoping however that most of the often variable. flora is underneath the snow and Take a recommendation from a with around 160 days snow cover friend or do some thorough each year, you should be in luck. research before accepting a budget Kopaonik has been the top desti- deal. nation for Serbs for some time but This season many European since 2004, when the last land- travel agencies have dropped mines were removed, foreign Kopaonik from their skiing cata- tourists have returned too. logue, so perhaps this will have KOPAONIK In the 70s and 80s this was a pop- freed up some space and you may ular budget skiing destination and just find a bargain. for 3 people, but will be much high- euro. Altitude of the resort - 1,770m in the last few years has been try- One of the most popular desti- er at peak times. One of the newer additions to Highest Peak - 2,017m ing to catch up with the foreign nations for locals remains the The resort will not impress the resort is the snowboard park Total length of slopes - 44km competition. Grand experienced thrill-seekers but pro- where boarding fans can build Total number of lifts - 23 The resort lacks nothing that its Hotel, (036 71037), located just a vides enough of a range to keep their own jumps. In a sign that Number of Baby lifts - 2 French or Italian counterparts – few metres away from the begin- intermediate skiers and beginners Kopaonik is trying to become Number of beginners’ runs from the quality of the well ning of one the main lifts up the happy. more ‘hip’, it has started hosting a (blue slopes) - 12 groomed slopes to, these days, the slopes and with it’s own ski-rent If you are in for adding a bit of snowboard and music festival Intermediate (red slopes) - 9 fairly stiff prices. facility and ski shop. The hotel excitement and still have the ener- staged by the organisers of the Advanced (black slopes) - 4 Although your ski pass at 15 offers an indoor swimming pool gy after a long day of skiing, then infamous EXIT festival. Maximum difference in alti- euro a day (10 euro for kids) com- (accessible to non-residents), night skiing on the Malo Jezero Ski rental is available widely tude - 512m pares favourably to the French jacuzzi, sauna and fitness centre. slope will be just the right thing and costs about 50 euro for a week Longest run - 3.5km Alps, where a day in Chamonix Prices start at about 40 euro per for you. The slope is open between or around 8 euro per day, with dis- Night skiing route - 450m would cost you 40 euro (30 euro for person per night in a shared room 7pm and 10pm and costs around 10 counts available for children. Nordic skiing - 18km 10 December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 ski special Popova Sapka, Macedonia opova Sapka is located in the Hotel Slavija, above the Popova northwestern part of Sapka hotel, is perhaps better PMacedonia, and is one of the appointed and has an indoor swim- most popular winter ski resorts in ming pool. Rooms in both these the country. hotels are around 20 euro per per- It is situated in the beautiful Shar son per night. Mountain at 1,780 metres above The ski region’s website sea level, just 35 kilometres from (www.popovasapka.mk) will be of the capital Skopje. no use unless you speak On average, Popova Sapka sees 135 Macedonian and read Cyrillic but days of snow. the site of the Mountain House The resort is a little more run Granit down than its neighbour Mavrovo, www.popovashapka13.com.mk, but has a pleasant, friendlier feel coincidentally a great value place Mavrovo, Macedonia to it. to stay at 15.50 euro per person per The view from Popova Sapka is night, has some resort informa- he northwest of Macedonia some evenings, making night-time 39 euro a night (see advert). superb and opens out towards the tion and also, curiously, pictures of is home to one of the most skiing possible. One downside of the station is it neighboring mountains all the other hotels in town.. At Tbeautiful mountain valleys Skiing is cheap with around 17 sits at just 1,250metres, meaning Jakupica and Solunska Glava 11.50 euro a day, the ski passes are in the region, Mavrovo. euro securing a day pass and 100 that the quality of the snow at low (2540m), and also towards the a bargain too. It is just one hour’s drive from euro a weekly ticket. levels can sometimes be patchy. Polog valley. the capital, Skopje, on motorways Close to the slopes, the Hotels The ski season opens on The skiing village includes around and well maintained roads. Drive POPOVA SAPKA Bistra, (www.bistra.com) with 42 December 18. 250 to 300 chalets to rent and a time from Prishtina is likely to be rooms, is a good option. It has a smattering of independent restau- Altitude of the resort -1,704m in the region of 3 hours. rustic feel and offers a restaurant, MAVROVO rants. Ski-schools and equipment Highest Peak - 2,748m The Zare Lazarevski ski centre serving up hearty fare, a heated, hire can be arranged at hotels and Total length of slopes - 10km in Mavrovo has been recently ren- indoor swimming pool, sauna and Altitude of the resort - 1,250m in the village. Total number of lifts - 11 ovated, increasing the capacity of jacuzzi.The same group also owns Highest Peak - 1960m Decent Italian food is served up at Number of beginners’ runs (blue the ski lifts, and offers good quali- two other nearby hotels. The Hotel Total length of slopes - 5km Casa Leone in the village, which slopes)- 2 ty accommodation and great Makpetrol (+389 23146273) is a Total number of lifts - 11 lifts has amazing views from its ter- Intermediate (red slopes) - 5 views. short walk from the pistes. Number of beginners’ runs race. The none too imaginatively Advanced (black slopes) - 1 The ski trails start at 1960m and The pick of the bunch if you are (blue slopes) - 5 named Hotel Popova Sapka (+389 Maximum difference in altitude: end some 700 metres or so down in looking for luxury is the Hotel Intermediate (red slopes) - 5 44361020) is the biggest hotel in the 1,400 m the town. (www.radika.com.mk). Advanced (black slopes) - 5 resort with 140 rooms, but the The 5,000 metres of pistes pro- This five-star resort is about as Maximum difference in alti- vide opportunities for beginners trendy as you get and also offers a tude: 700m and advanced skiers alike and a full-range of spa options to soothe short section of the trails is lit up your aching calves. Rooms start at

ontenegro's ski resorts prices over 100 euro per person per (athough to be honest our opinion might not live up in size to night for bed and breakfast in peak is more positive than the Visit Msome European destina- season, it's not a budget option. Montenegro website), but the ski- tions, but quantity and quality is If you are up for an adventure ing and the scenery are unmatch- not the same thing. and looking for more demanding able. The rugged mountains of slopes, make your way over to The Montenegro resorts can be Montenegro conceal the deepest Zabljak in the Durmitor National difficult to reach from Kosovo in canyon in Europe, and they also Park. the winter as the Rozaje pass is hide away Moraca, and Kolasin. Zabljak has everything that you often closed. Kolasin, with its ski centre could wish for in a ski resort. If you have a Serbian stamp or Jerzerine, is a small resort com- Located deep in a forest with 20 passport, however, it is best to pared to developments in peaks looming up around it, and 18 reach the centre passing through Switzerland, France or Austria but fairytale crystal clear lakes nearby Zubin Potok and Serbia. when you are standing on the top it is a truly breathtaking sight. of the mountain, with the white The town sits at an altitude of ZABLJAK/ DURMITOR powder snow stretching out below 1456m and if you take yourself up you, you will begin to ask yourself to the top of the pistes at 2,313 then Altitude of the resort - 1,445m why you have not come here you can enjoy a whole 3.5km of Highest Peak - 2,532m before. 'black run' downhill skiing. Total length of slopes - 15km The slopes are perhaps not the However, in what must be one of Total number of lifts - 6 most demanding, but the stunning the frankest pieces of PR writing, Number of baby lifts - 3 scenery will more than compen- the Visit-Montenegro website Beginners' runs (blue slopes) - 6 sate for that. speaks of the appallingly low stan- Intermediate (red slopes) - 2 The really rather lovely Bianca dard of provision for tourists. Advanced (black slopes) -1 Resort, (www.biancaresort.com), So perhaps you may not live in Max. difference in altitude - is the place to stay here but with the lap of luxury in Zabljak 868m Longest run - 3.5km

KOLASIN

Altitude of the resort -1,450 Highest Peak - 2,139 Total length of slopes - 30km Total number of lifts - 12 Number of baby lifts - 1 Beginners' runs (blue slopes) – 2

Intermediate (red slopes) - 7 Advanced (black slopes) - 2 Max. difference in altitude - Y 510m M Longest run - 4.5km C Longest night skiing route - 500 K When peoplelike herdotake in part show onthenational broadcaster RTS. ina last monthsinceshetook part Dubravka Filipovski, claims that itwas room totheotherside. coverage; TVshows give almostno thing like equalityinnational news havesition parties not enjoyed any- that during thelasttwo years theoppo- Milosevic’s in2000until2008,says fall DSS, which heldpower from the LiberalDemocratic Party. 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TodorovicDragan toldPrishtina media presentation,” theRadicals’ equal creating only anillusionof some spaceinlate-night programmes, under Milosevic. under theircontrol thanthoseused sophisticated ways toplacethemedia political elitestoday have found more late at night,sheadds. such shows, are aired theprogrammes h S a hsnt ou fdevel- DSS haschosenThe tofocus of which become an One istheInternet, accesstothenationalDenied fair Having asay inparliamentary ses- sayOpposition parties thisimpor- mediaselectivity,As anexampleof Given thesignificantinfluence that theProgressives, of Djuric, onbehalf When theoppositionisgiven spacein [public“They broadcasters] give us today’s agrees; RadicalParty The balanced infuture. are more to ensure theirprogrammes willthenoblige thenationalThis media shouldinclude, hebelieves.strategy new mechanisms, which themedia Progressives, thestate shouldexplore same conclusions asdid the SocialStudies. Science orInstituteof Political the university’s Faculty of uinely autonomousinstitutionsuch as are represented inthe media. parties objective research onhow thevarious Faculty, believes Serbianeedsmore University’sBelgrade Political Science she toldPrishtinaInsight. no appropriate solutions to problems,” paper with ment that isonly apieceof months, sheadded. next coupleof the rest.draftwillbeready The thein but theministrydoesnotwanttorush hasbeenwritten, thestrategy of part media,says that minister incharge of has stillnotbeenunveiled. strategy,the government. The however, lic discussionbefore finaladoptionby in November andthenputoutfor pub- the scene, wassupposedtobepresented access. of culprit for theirproblems interms mediafieldasthechiefunregulated profit. ed thecompanies’totalturnover as sations, saying New Serbiahadpresent- businessmen2008. The deniedtheaccu- (about 240millioneuro) from 2005to 24billiondinar totalof had earned belonging toTadic's close associates way for tocomeout. “thetruth” having decidedthat thiswastheonly ers anddistributed theminBelgrade, associates ayear ago, theyprintedfly- President BorisTadic’s close some of interest by dealings andconflicts of they haduncovered secret business yielding results,” Petkovic says. path isharder andcostlierbut itis ticipating onlocalTVstations. “This press conferencesorganising andpar- bysupporters travelling around Serbia, oping personaloutreach, withparty If independent institutionsreach independent the If outby shouldbecarried a gen- This Professor Rade Veljanovski, of “We don’t wanttopresent adocu- Natasa Vuckovic Lesendric, assistant A national mediastrategy, regulating oppositionseesSerbia’sThe largely New Serbiaclaimed that companies New Serbiasaid When membersof

News in Brief December 17,2010-January 14,2011 in astatement. and thesecountries,” theForeign Ministrysaid relations between theEU tion andbuilding of coopera- Europe andinthedevelopmentern of andsoutheast- diplomacy anditsrole ineastern Slovakian qualities, of aswell asaconfirmation thecandidate's personal an acknowledgement of the Slovakian news TASR agency saidTuesday. decision toappoint director, Lajcakasmanaging being launched onDecember1. fillingtoppositionsafter Ashton, hasbegun Catherine headed by EUforeign policy chief tional communityinBosnia-Herzegovina. theinterna- also asthehighrepresentative of served ashiscountry'sambassadortoSerbiaand Western Balkans. Neighborhoodandthe Russia, theEastern as historic. for visaliberalisation anddescribed themoment Albania’sber countriesthat hadsupported bid Berisha, who andmem- thanked theEUofficials their way wasAlbanianPrimeMinisterSali Rome ison display.Treaty of Capitolini museum,where theEU'sfounding Foreign Frattini and visitthe MinisterFranco head toRome, where theywillmeetItalian with EUofficials. dents onatriptoBrussels, where theywillmeet localhighschool stu- of Lulzim Bashaledagroup onWednesday,effect Albanian InteriorMinister European cities. students from thecountrywithatriptotwo cution by theparliament. immunityfrom prose- before hewasstrippedof corruption. amid suspicionof warrant arrest issuedaninternational Austria, where onFriday hewasarrested after MP isbeingheldinextraditioncustody in gations. office. Hehasdeniedthealle- crime andabuse of witnesses who have notyet beeninterviewed. is aflight riskandcouldtamperwithanumber of should beputininvestigative prisonbecausehe appointment asSanader'sdefencecounsel. USKOK, Sanader, against Gospocic's confirmed agency,tion conductedby theanti-corruption Devcic, who overseeing isthejudge theinvestiga- tive custody for my client,” Gospocictoldmedia. ordering amonth-longinvestiga-County Court theZagreb probably appeal thedecisionof the casefile, andafterIexamineitwillmost inquiry.ruption acor- Sanader, of who aspart hasbeenarrested Croatian PMSanader ExCourt AppointsAttorneyfor A Free Travel Albania Marks First Day of Visa S inBalkansService toLeadLajcak EU Diplomatic T “We believe that theappointment represents SlovakianThe Foreign Ministrywelcomed the ActionService, EEAS, EuropeanThe External Slovak foreign former The ministerpreviously Present at the airport tosendthetravellersPresent at theairport on thestudentsandBashawill After Brussels To celebrate thevisa-free regime, which took He leftCroatia onDecember9,justhours independent premier andcurrent former The conspiracy tocommit Sanader issuspectedof previously ruled Court The that Sanader spokesman CountyCourt Kresimir Zagreb “I wasappointed today, but Istillhave notseen service, where hewillheadthesection for ed toatoppostintheEU'snew diplomatic lovakia's Miroslav Lajcakhasbeenappoint- tive Croatian PrimeMinisterIvo for former representa- Ana-Marija Gospocicaslegal hasappointed CountyCourt he Zagreb stone that willbemarked by somelucky visas toEurope's Schengen zone, amile- cannowlbanian citizens travel without 11 12 December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 community focus Justice in Kosovo Ecosovo The new edition December 2010 of the Bradt Guide to Kosovo

By Elizabeth Gowing

he section is headed ‘Brod to the glacier lake and Two politicians sentenced Other cases and irregularities witnesses with force to the court room, the sheep shelter’ and the instructions read ‘the but the police had not respected that Tpath is well marked because of the frequent traffic for criminal offences monitored during November’s request, and had not notified the court of horses to the sheep shelter and you just keep on going monitoring process that they would not bring the witnesses. past the fields of wild raspberries. After 4km or so you Bajrush Xhemajli sentenced to The judge declared that he will write to will come across a series of waterfalls.’ Wild raspberries, horses, glacier lake, waterfalls - this must be a guide to two and a half years in jail Kacanik extortion trial the Kosovo Police Director about this issue to request information on why the some paradise or faeryland. It makes me want to pack my bags immediately and set off for this magical country. he mayor of Ferizaj, Bajrush he PDK mayor of Kacanik, Xabir police had not respected the court’s But no need to pack my bags – I’m living there! The TXhemajli has been found guilty Zharku, is on trial for extortion, order. T Bradt guide to Kosovo, in its new updated edition pub- of endangering public traffic, which threat and illegal possession of weapons, lished this month, is a fabulous resource for appreciating resulted in one death and several together with six other people. All plead 23 new judges and prosecutors all there is to see and do in Kosovo. If you are trying to injured in May 2009. He was sen- not guilty. In 2006, two Kosovo citizens’ appointed without completing the tenced to two and a half years in jail cut down your carbon footprint, and spend your leisure bid won in a privatisation process for a necessary education and banned from driving for two time nearby, the guidebook will give you ideas for a farm and land near Kacanik. It is alleged years. Kosovo beyond your dreams yet within your reach. As that the injured parties were threatened he process of appointment and On the morning of 21 May 2009, the book’s authors, long-term Kosovo residents Gail and extorted to withdraw their winning Treappointment of judges and Xhemajli was driving to his office in Warrander and Verena Knaus say in their introduction, offer, in order for the defendants to win prosecutors has been seen very success- Ferizaj from Prishtina, where he ‘Kosovo has breathtakingly beautiful mountain peaks, the tender as second bidders. ful in reforming and strengthening lives. He had previously appeared waterfalls and wildflower meadows, fascinating cultural During the search of Zharku’s proper- Kosovo’s weak justice system. However, television admitting that one of his treasures, Ottoman-era buildings, stone houses, church- ties, the police found several illegal besides the more than 100 positions that habits is “driving fast”. The court es, mosques and medieval fresco paintings. There are weapons and grenades. The case is being are currently vacant as a result of this found Xhemajli guilty of causing an rivers for fishing, lakes for swimming and fabulous walk- tried in Prishtina District Court and is process, another problem is that 23 new accident by driving at over 100 ing and mountain-biking trails.’ proceeding with witness testimonies. judges and prosecutors have been Who wouldn’t spend their weekends in a country like kmph, in an area with a 40 kmph appointed without completing the nec- that? The book gives information on each major town or limit. Xhemajli, who had lost con- The Bllaca affair essary legal education with the Kosovo area in Kosovo as well as seven suggested day trip itiner- trol of his vehicle, hit three young Judicial Institute. aries and four hiking trips – Štrpce/ Brezovica, Bajgora, boys from Lipjan, one of whom, azim Bllaca shocked public According to the law that established Dragash, and the Rugova valley. It also has useful infor- Labinot Rrustemi, later died. opinion last year when he the KJI, every new judge and prosecutor N mation on getting around by public transport, for travel- Reacting to the verdict, Labinot’s declared that he had been involved in should follow a legal education pro- ling with an even clearer conscience. father declared he will appeal the murders and other serious crimes gramme run by this institute, before he The book is the only English guide focusing solely on sentencing decision, saying that two under directives of ShIK (National or she can be appointed as a judge or Kosovo, and it updates the original Bradt Guide to and a half years is “not enough for Informative Service) as a recruit. prosecutor. These 23 new judges and Kosovo, published three years ago. This version includes my son’s life”. Xhemajli’s lawyers Bllaca accused some high-profile PDK prosecutors therefore cannot work on information on new restaurants (over 200 of them), bars also declared that they will appeal members, who were involved in SHIK, cases and other legal issues within their the decision, on the grounds that a of having ordered him to commit the offices before completing the pro- and more than 100 hotels, and up-to-date details of tourist proper expert assessment of the crimes. gramme run by KJI. sites, as well as an extended language section which gives accident wasn’t granted by the Bllaca’s allegations resulted in two Bedri Peci, president of the Kosovo useful phrases in Serbian and Albanian (both the stan- court. people being arrested and brought Judicial Council, said in BIRN’s TV dard language and the Gheg dialect which is what you’ll Prior to being elected mayor of before the court and one high-profile show “Justice in Kosovo” that the candi- mainly hear here). Ferizaj in 2007 and 2009, Xhemajli PDK member being interviewed by dates are the best and that they have As well as 20 maps and the town-by-town information was a member of the Kosovo EULEX investigators. Bllaca himself completed all formal obligations with you’d expect from a guidebook, the Bradt guide offers a Assembly for the Democratic Party remains under house detention since regard to the institute. He added that readable history section and some fascinating info boxes of Kosovo – PDK, where he contin- speaking publicly, and has been declared the candidates will soon start dealing focusing on elements of Kosovo society – figures from the ues to be a member. a cooperative witness. with cases after they are sworn in country’s history, intriguing explanations of Prishtina This is the first case to involve mem- December. neighbourhood placenames (Tophane – ‘the cannon ball Nexhat Daci sentenced with bers of ShIK, which has considered to be depot’, Tauk Bahqe, on the road to Gërmia, ‘chicken gar- one and a half years in jail the PDK’s own secret service. The case is Success story den’), local customs, the role of the diaspora, the Gorani seen as an opportunity to shed light over community, the Dervish. There is also an inspiring ormer president of the numerous crimes that occurred during After BIRN’s interest, the Travelling Positively section which gives suggestions for FKosovo Assembly and current the period between 1999 and 2009. Municipal Court in Viti sent a ‘giving something back’ to Kosovo through voluntary or leader of Democratic League of case to the District Court in Gjilan aid work or the stuffyourruscksack website for small Dardania – LDD, Nexhat Daci has Public prosecutor one after more than five years of no donations by travelers to needy projects. been sentenced to an eighteen- hour late for hearing response Do I sound enthusiastic about this guidebook? Well, I month jail term, suspended for two am. And no, I’m not on commission – except to the extent years, for misuse of public funds for n the case P. nr. 265/09 concerning a helal Ademi, from Viti, could not that all of us are; investing in Kosovo and appreciating personal gain while in office. The Imurder, the public prosecutor did Xuse the property he bought in 2002 what our immediate environment has to offer will make allegations refer to the period when not appear on the court room for about from a citizen of Serbian ethnicity this a lovelier place for all of us to live. I’m hopeful that Daci was president of the Kosovo one hour, leaving both the injured party because his property was being unlaw- the Bradt guide will bring more people to enjoy Kosovo Assembly. and the defendants in the same room fully occupied by another person. His and engender more enthusiasm for what there is to pre- Daci was found guilty of buying waiting, before proceedings could begin. case was stuck in the court’s backlog for serve here. And now I’m off to explore a bit more of this spectacles and paying for cosmetic Police said that leaving the different par- over five years, with the Municipal winter wonderland, hoping the wild raspberries still dentistry for himself from Kosovo ties waiting in the same court room Court refusing to deal with it and not mark the path to the glacier lake. taxpayers’ money. could be dangerous since this case was responding to Ademi’s appeal to send it Daci’s advisor, Ali Alishani, was about murder motivated by revenge. to the District Court of Gjilan. The Bradt Guide, dubbed by its authors, ‘the perfect also found guilty of helping Daci to The BIRN monitor in the Viti Christmas present’, is on sale in Kosovo for 20 euros, with misuse public funds, for which he Witnesses don’t show up Municipal Court noted the case in the 10 per cent discount for orders of fifteen or more copies. was given a six-month sentence, sus- to hearing monthly monitoring report, and as a For Kosovo delivery call 044 555 439 or email gailwarran- pended for two years. Alishani was result the court immediately sent the [email protected]. Also available in bookshops and on also found guilty in another process n the court case P.nr.336/2009 con- case to the District Court in Gjilan for Amazon. for abusing his official position and Icerning a murder, three witnesses appeal. Ademi alleges that the person Y for falsification of official docu- did not appear at the hearing, causing that occupied his property is connected Elizabeth Gowing is a founder member of The Ideas M ments while in office in the Kosovo the leading judge to postpone the hear- to the municipal court judge of his Partnership, a Kosovan NGO working on educational, cul- C Assembly. He was sentenced to two ing. The judge said that they had case, since they come from the same vil- tural and environmental projects. She can be reached at K years, suspended for four years. requested that Kosovo Police bring the lage. [email protected] opinion December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 13 Richard Holbrooke, Balkan Peacemaker Veteran US diplomat played decisive role in ending wars in Bosnia and Kosovo but questions remain about the legacy of US-led settlements in both countries.

voice behind the Rambouillet the democratic evolution of con- Bosnian Serbs. bered. negotiations over Kosovo’s status temporary Serbian politics was By bombing Serbia into submis- A profoundly controversial and in March 1999, and the subsequent decisive. It is extraordinary that sion to secure the occupation of divisive figure in the region, his By Matthew Parish US-led NATO bombing of Serbia the most influential person in the Kosovo, Holbrooke contributed to legacy will be fought over for some in 1999. recent history of the Western significant flows of both Albanian years to come as various possible His final act of Balkan politics Balkans is not a native of the and Serb refugees. end games play themselves out in was to engineer the overthrow of region at all but an American civil As UNMIK entered Kosovo in Bosnia and Kosovo. Holbrooke was istory is written by the vic- the government of Slobodan servant. June 1999, the entire Serbian genuinely motivated by the finest tors and the role of the Milosevic in September 2000, In engineering the annexation administration of the province humanitarian principles, and at HUnited States in the which ultimately led to Milosevic’s of Kosovo by a UN mission and the fled, causing near-total political the time he considered resolute Balkans in the second half of the extradition to The Hague on war downfall of Milosevic, Holbrooke and social collapse. action essential to save human life 1990s was undoubtedly decisive. crimes charges in March 2001. paved the way for the final disinte- Kosovo still struggles with the and topple tyrants and war crimi- The Bosnian war came to an end Without Holbrooke’s efforts, the gration of Yugoslavia. For this he problems of an ineffective govern- nals. as a result of decisions of the Bosnian war might have contin- is beloved by Bosniaks and ment and lawlessness and corrup- administration of US President But like so many embroiled in ued in an indefinite stasis as the Kosovar Albanians, and reviled by tion to the present day, its economy the state-building game, he could Bill Clinton. parties fought themselves to a halt. Serbs. Yet fundamental questions and political system propped up by The borders of Croatia were not foresee the pernicious long- The Serbs would have obtained remain about the sustainability of Western aid and administrators. term consequences of his deci- secured, and the United Nations the course on which he set Bosnia Holbrooke was a lifelong sup- more territory in any final settle- sions. It is still not clear whether, later occupied Kosovo, an act ulti- ment; Bosnia would not have been and Kosovo, the region’s two most porter of the US Democratic Party. as Holbrooke’s Balkan policies mately leading to the country’s subjected to international procon- fragile states. He disappeared into political irrel- continue to play themselves out independence. The public face and sulship; Brcko District would By forcing the Bosnian govern- evance amidst Washington think over a decade after he last made private engine of US policy in the never have been created; Milorad ment to centralise under interna- tanks and corporate New York dur- his critical decisions, history will Balkans was the prominent US Dodik might never have become tional governorship, Holbrooke ing the Republican Presidency of adjudge him an architect of the diplomat Richard Holbrooke, who the Bosnian Serb prime minister committed the international com- George W Bush, but was rehabili- unsustainable or a victor for jus- died following surgery to repair a in 1998 with Western support; and munity to a long-term programme tated when US President Barack tice and stability. ruptured aorta on 13 December Republika Srpska might have of state building and creating Obama appointed Bill Clinton’s Richard Charles Albert 2010. declared independence in the late political institutions that had not wife, Hillary Clinton, as his Holbrooke, US diplomat, born 24 A fearsome intellect and an 1990s amidst international con- existed before. By crafting the text Secretary of State. ardent advocate of military inter- demnation. of the Dayton Peace Accords and She made him the President’s April 1941, died 13 December 2010. vention for humanitarian goals, Kosovo might still have been forcing this unusual American Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Holbrooke stood behind the policy part of Serbia, and the source of legal document upon the recalci- Pakistan. It was the perceived suc- Matthew Parish is an interna- of US support for Bosnia’s continuing ethnic conflict; trant warring parties, he con- cess of Holbrooke’s approach in tional lawyer based in Geneva, Muslims and pressuring Bosnian Milosevic might have struggled on tributed to Bosnia’s chronic politi- the Balkans that in part drove and formerly worked as the Chief Serbs to sue for peace. A friend and in power for a few more years; cal instability. robust international intervention Legal Adviser to the International colleague of Holbrooke drafted the Zoran Djindjic might never have Holbrooke has not survived to in Afghanistan in the aftermath of Supervisor of Brcko. His book on Dayton Peace Accords, and served become see the final outcome of the heavy- the 9/11 attacks, and thus post-war Bosnia, A Free City in the as arbitrator over the disputed ter- and been assassinated; his succes- handed international intervention Holbrooke was indirectly respon- Balkans: Reconstructing a Divided ritory of Brcko. sor Zoran Zivkovic might never he initiated in post-war Bosnia. sible for the creation of his new Society in Bosnia, is published by Holbrooke drove the policy of have appointed the hitherto little Some 15 years after the Dayton role. I.B.Tauris. His new book, Mirages strengthening the Office of the known Boris Tadic as his defence Peace Accords the Office of the His achievements and profile in of International Justice: The High Representative of Bosnia and minister. High Representative still exists, the midst of the Afghan mire were Elusive Pursuit of a Herzegovina in late 1997, turning Holbrooke’s input in paving the trying in vain to hold the country relatively limited, and it will be for Transnational Legal Order, will be the country into an international way for the modern Bosnian state, together amidst continuing his impact in the Western Balkans published by Edward Elgar in protectorate. He was the leading the independence of Kosovo and threats of secession by the that he will principally be remem- January. www.matthewparish.com A Bomb Has Finally Exploded in Albania’s Face In light of the Council of Europe report on KLA crimes in Albania, Tirana must stop ducking responsibility for such abuses and start investigating crimes, whoever committed them. mixture of guerrilla warfare and town of Kukes and in other Albanian cause. healthy society and state. organised crime, detailing deten- makeshift detention centres, has The government in Tirana let Albania can, in fact, best help tions, beatings and abuses carried recently become the subject of a the Kosovo Albanian guerrillas Kosovo by investigating and pros- By Altin Raxhimi out by Kosovo Liberation Army court case in Prishtina, in Kosovo, use northern Albania as a base ecuting these crimes. This does guerrillas against their adver- although the alleged crimes took from which to organise their not undermine the suffering of saries, both suspected collabora- place in Albania. Law enforce- armed resistance to the Serbs. the , or delegit- tors with the Serbs and others. ment bodies there never attempt- Different factions in the Albanian imise their struggle. It simply sep- he Council of Europe inves- Victims were both Serbs and ed to inquire into the incidents. government, army and intelli- arates out those who fought for tigation has highlighted Albanians. Albanian prosecutors have gence services all gave them a Kosovo from those who committed Twhat Albania’s authorities Albania has consistently denied shrugged their shoulders when hand. murder. had long wished would go away – that any crimes related to the asked about crimes related to the Albania cannot duck its respon- The country should abide by the allegations that Kosovo Albanian Kosovo war occurred on its terri- Kosovo war. The Ministry of sibility anymore. It should stop universal principle that all human guerrillas committed grave tory. The Prime Minister, Sali Justice failed to respond to maintaining that the Serbs had a life is precious, like the Albanian human rights abuses on Albanian Berisha, earlier dismissed the requests from the EU rule-of-law monopoly on abusive behaviour. It officer who volunteered for the territory during and after the claims in Del Ponte’s book as mission in Kosovo, EULEX, for should begin to see the more com- KLA in the conflict and who told Kosovo war. something from an Agatha assistance in investigating alleged plex truth about this armed con- me last year: “An innocent man The draft report, prepared by Christie mystery. crimes that Kosovo Albanians flict and start investigating and who gets killed is the son of a the Swiss senator Dick Marty, The Chief Prosecutor, Ina committed in Albania. prosecuting crimes independently grieving mother too. This isn’t made public on Tuesday, talks in Rama, said the allegations were Officially, Albania was not of who committed them. what I fought for.” horrendous details of abductions too vague to investigate and party to the Kosovo war. But it Any attempt to ignore the credi- If Albania wants to join the from Kosovo to Albania and of refused to respond to persistent played a crucial role in the con- ble allegations documented in the , it will have to organ trafficking – claims first queries from journalists wishing flict. It sided with its ethnic Marty report would effectively show that it is committed to inde- mentioned publicly in the memoir to discuss the matter. The evi- brethren across the border and mean Albania supported heinous pendent and serious investiga- of Carla del Ponte, the former dence now is too great to be the KLA had access to training crimes, not a liberation struggle. tions of serious crimes. chief prosecutor of the ignored. facilities throughout the country. It would leave a dark stain on Prime Minister Berisha must International Criminal Tribunal Y The murder of one man, and the Albania rejoiced in the fact that Albania if it acquiesced to that. start upholding the rule of law, for Former Yugoslavia, ICTY. M beating of others during the 1999 some of the world’s leading pow- Nor will it ultimately help the not demonstrate yet again his pen- The report describes an unholy C war in the northern Albanian ers supported the Kosovo Kosovo Albanians to build a chant for witty one-liners. K 14 December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 By Shengjyl Osmani in Prishtina Contact Prishtina Insight if you would like your event to feature or Timeout to advertise your venue. Email [email protected]

Kosovo Art Gallery:

rom Thursday, December Theatre Schedule 16 to December 31, photo Friday, December 17, 2010 Fexhibition, from the Theatre premiere, ‘Lidhje artists Burim Myftiu and Gjaku’ [blood link] from the pop- Fahredin Spahiuja at the ular Canadian author Sharon Gallery of the Ministry of Culture at “Qafa” (which is Pollock, directed by Fadil Hysaj. located next to the main Cast includes prominent entrance door of the supermar- Kosovar actors: Irena Cahani, ket City Hipermarket). Hazir Myftari, Aurita Agushi, From December 15, until Lumnije Sopi, Bislim Muçaj, January 15, the Art Gallery of Lirak Celaj and Shpetim Kosovo is hosting an exhibition Kastrati. of the famous designer, Lyra The scenography is by Zajmi. Austrian stylist Sylvia Weber, The exhibition is covering Vesa Kraja has designed the cos- photos with the theme: “Sharri tumes, and Valton Beqiri has mountains- my inspiration and arranged the music. The play is my love” and it is part of the directed iby Kastriot Saqipi. The project from the Ministry of play will be repeated on 18, 28 Thursday, December, 23, Environment and Spatial and 29 December. 2010 Premier of the Ballet Planning. A personal exhibition of a "Lidhje Gjaku" was first on “Dashuria qe vret” (love that Kosovar artist who lives in stage in 1980, marking a shift of kills), with choreography by Ilir Switzerland, Adem Dermaku, attention by individual drama- Kerni. continues to be hosted at the Art tist to family and social connec- The ballet will appear on Gallery until December 24, 2010. tions. Friday. For further information, con- ABC Cinema is screening the movie Takers, everyday from 6, 8, tact them at [email protected], Monday, December 20, 2010 For more information, call 038 and 10 pm. or www.kosovaart.com. Located Circle (Blue Room), from 243 930 or visit their TAKERS takes you into the world of a notorious group of criminals on Agim Ramadani street, No. David Hare, directed by Agnes official web page: (Idris Elba, Paul Walker, T.I., Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen and 60. Nokshiqi, will be on the theatre’s www.teatrikombetar.eu All the- Michael Ealy) who continue to baffle police by pulling off perfectly small stage. atre plays start from 8 pm, and executed bank robberies. They are in and out like clockwork, leaving The play will also be shown on cost 3 E (for students, retired peo- no evidence behind and laying low between heists. But when they Monday, December 27, 2010. ple, and disabled prices 1 E only). Prishtina Diary attempt to pull off one last job with more money at stake than ever before, the crew may find their plans interrupted by a hardened detec- tive (Matt Dillon) who is hell-bent on solving the case. Friday, December 17, 2010 From January 6, 2011, ABC Cinema will start broadcasting the Stacion – Centre for Contemporary Filikaqa continues with movie ‘The Tourist” with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. Karaoke nights, starting from 9 For ticket reservations or additional information contact them at 038 pm. In order to find a seat, 243 117 or visit their web page www.kinoabc.info Art Prishtina please make a reservation in advance. From Thursday, December For reservations call 038 244 16 Stacion, centre for 288 or right on Contemporary art, from 7 pm, [email protected] is hosting a personal exhibi- tion of Qendresa Deda, called Friday, December, 2010 ‘D with Qendresa Deda.’ Sharm bar with Lation Band D with Qendresa Deda is party designed around a minimal Evolution Dance invites you action, an operation of relocat- to celebrate together the 2nd ing (sensitive) content from anniversary of dance school, in one virtual platform to anoth- Sharm Bar with Latino Band er, an operation of moving and other surprises. images from facebook, works premeditated for internet, to a From 9:30 - 10:30 pm - free web site of a project institution salsa class and after we contin- for contemporary art and ue with the party. architecture. A selection of Qendresa’s art Sharm Bar is located in works will become visible at Pejton City area, on the left side, the website site of Stacion - way to Bistro Bar. For more info Center for Contemporary Art contact 049 333 460 Prishtina starting from 19:00 hrs of December 16, 2010. Monday, December 20, Nothing is Accidental. Kosovo 2.0 is launching Vlogs D with Qendresa Deda is - its Video Blogging section with about works that I like to see. D Français), Prishtina, the aim of bringing experiences stands for Dancing. Perspektiva 2010, curated by from the third world to Kosovo, Qendrese Deda (1988) was Erzen Shkololli, Tetris - Space sharing their beauty with born in Prishtina, graduated for Manipulation, Prishtina, everyone and making whispers at the Faculty of Arts of the Right Turn, Turn Right, curat- shout out loud. University of Prishtina, ed by Lulezim Zeqiri, Traffic Kosovo 2.0 invites you all to Department of Graphic Design Gallery, Prishtina get a first look of our Vlogs, as (2008-2010). Solo and group Y D with Qëndresa Deda is sup- well as to celebrate the end of exhibitions 2010, Solo exhibi- M ported by DZG, Gegë, KTV dhe year on Monday, December 20, tion at ECF (L’Espace Culturel C Rrokum. at Filikaqa. K December 17, 2010 - January 14, 2011 15 Classified Contact Prishtina Insight if you would like to advertise Email [email protected] Where to pick up Prishtina Insight? Prishtina Insight has teamed up with these six excellent venues to offer a limited number of complimentary copies of Kosovo’s only English-language newspaper. Grab a copy of the publication and settle down with a drink or a meal to read it.

Jinglebells Cavallero Mexican Restaurant If your soul is affected by the grey season then pay a visit to You can almost transport yourself to the Mexican coast, with Jinglebells, where you will find all the colours that you’ve been soaring palm trees and an immaculate five star resort, while dining missing. at Cavallero Mexican Cantina. Mouth-watering appetizers and Jinglebells is a perfect one-stop-shop for internationals offering a savoury main dishes are nicely washed down with countless cock- selection of books in various tail options and even imported Mexican beer. Skopje-based ‘Los languages and the quickest Ritmos’ entertain diners every Friday and Saturday with their latin supply of international news- beats. For more information, papers in town. It also offers visit their facebook page, or con- souvenirs and gifts, such as tact them. local handicrafts. Paddy O’Brien’s Cavallero, Located next to the ex-UNMIK Jinglebells. Bookstore and The staff at Paddy O’Brien’s building more. have a saying: “It’s easy to walk Prishtina Ernest Koliqi 12, opposite in, but very hard to leave.” +386 49 619 375 EULEX HQ And with its warm atmosphere, Facebook page +386(0)49 741 170 fantastic range of drinks and excellent food, it is easy to see why. Cantina am-pm Restaurant Hotel AFA Te Komiteti There have been many attempts to establish a proper Irish pub in Cantina AM-PM, formerly known as Located in a quiet neighbourhood just Te Komiteti’s large trees and a beauti- Prishtina, but this is the only one Mexican Cantina, recently went through a outside the city centre, Hotel Afa can guar- fully garden, which surround the small to hit the spot. transfer to new management, and although antee guests a peaceful night while being outdoor terrace, give you an impression From classic coffees to cock- hardly noticeable from a distance, the new within walking distance of all the action. of an exclusive place for ordinary peo- tails, via, of course, Guinness, owners have transformed the venue into a The venue has won a host of awards for its ple. And this is exactly what it is. From you really wont find it difficult to more grown-up affair with good, cheap food. excellent service to customers and offers a brunch to lunch-time snacks and special select the perfect drink. Cantina offers Mexican dishes at reasonable good range of facilities, from an exclusive evening meals, this restaurant offers A mouth-watering menu of prices, starting from less than 5 euro. Although restaurant and VIP dishes comprising quality, varied ingre- Irish specialties is also on offer, the majority of the food is Mexican-influenced, bar to pretty, tranquil dients, combined to perfection. spanning from all-day breakfasts Cesar salad and pizza have been included too. garden. Rooms start at Alongside one of Prishtina’s best ‘mod- to Irish stews at night. Mexican favourites 45 euro for a single, ern European’ Options include shepherd’s pie, served up at Cantina and luxury rooms and style menus, bangers and mash, fish ‘n chips, include tortilla, thicker apartments are avail- you’ll also find a and whopping great burgers. pan-friend tortilla, able. The hotel’s rooms good selection of Thursday is pub quiz night, but nacho chips and burri- are well appointed and wine, and great there is always something going to. Cantina’s also offers comfortable. sangria and cock- on at the pub, whether it is sport a very pleasant area for 15, Rr Ali Kelmendi, tails . screenings or just a good shindig. al fresco dining. Sunny Hill, Te Komiteti Paddy O’Brien’s Cantina AM-PM Prishtina Qamil Hoxha Tringe Smajli Street, by the Rr Qamil Hoxha +381 38/225 226 Street Illyria Hotel Prishtina www.hotelafa.com Prishtina Prishtina +377 49 710 710 +381 38 24 96 63 045-420900

What Happened in Kosovo? Pick up Josef Martinsen’s latest book on Kosovo from Dit ‘e Nat bookstore. In his second book on the country, Martin documents those who went missing during the Kosovo conflict in 1999, and details the personal stories of the families affected. “It is not literature, these are real events that took place,'' said Martinsen, Historian Hakif Bajram described the tome as a monument to the tragic events of 1999. Pick up your copy now.

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