18.11.2001

On the non released kidnapped persons by the terrorist gang of the so called NLA in the area of Tetovo and the existence of the allege mass grave in the vicinity of the village of Neprosteno

Within the frames of the criminal charges brought and the special reports submitted by the Ministry of the interior to the Republic Prosecution office for the criminal activities committed the terrorist gang of the so called NLA at the territory of the Republic of Macedonia, special part goes to the case of 100 kidnapped and maltreated individuals, no matter their ethnic belonging. The aim of the kidnappings and mal treatments was to foster the ethnic cleansing in the areas in which there are Macedonian besides the Albanian citizens.

Most of the kidnapped Macedonians, after being held and maltreated for a certain period of Macedonians, after being held and maltreated for a certain period of time, `ere released by the terrorists, mainly upon international organizations in the Republic of Macedonia.

This is the list of those kidnapped individuals: Andreja Ristovski (37) from the village of Dobroste kidnapped on July 4,2001; Cvetkov Mihajlovski (55) from the village of Neprosteno, kidnapped on July 23,2001; Vasko Mihajlovski from the village of Neprosteno, Dimitrie Dimovski (62) from Tetovo, Robi Mihajlovski (19) from the village of Tearce the three of them kidnapped on Jul 24,2001; llko Trajkovski, Vasko Trajcevski, Goko Sinadinovski and Boban Eftimovski, all of them from Tetovo, kidnapped on August 18, 2001; Krsto Gogovski (70) from the village of Neprosteno, kidnapped on Jul 24,1001; Sultan Memeti from the village of Radusa, Skopje area, kidnapped on June 6, 2001; Bosko Dimitrievski (56) both form the village of Belovista kidnapped on August 31,2001.

On October 9,2001, there has bean an anonymous letter sent to the Public Prosecution Office of the Republic of Macedonia saying that the kidnapped individuals by the members of terrorist gang of the so called NLA, who have not been released to date, have been murdered and entombed in a hole in the vicinity of the road leading form the village of Dzepchiste towards the village of Trebosh, Tetovo area, at 150 kilometers along the canal directed to the village of Neprosteno. Enclosed to this letter there has been a hand drown scheme presenting the locality of the allege mass grave.

Having in mind that the Public Prosecutor, as a state organ, in accordance to Article 140 paragraph 1 of the Criminal procedure Law is obligated to act when informed on a certain event otherwise, the very same day, the Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Macedonia, in accordance to Article 9 of Public Prosecution Law addressed to the Senior Public Prosecution Office in Skopje, Enclosing the received anonymous letter thereto, to further investigate the case and if needed, in accordance to Article 244 of the Criminal Procedure Law, to check upon the given information.

On October 9,2001 the Senior Public Prosecutor form Skopje (Tuesday) had a meeting with the Principal Public prosecutor from Tetovo and the Head of the Counterintelligence and Security Department, in order to see the possibilities of the further actions to be taken by the Public prosecution. There was information gained by the Head of the Counterintelligence Department that there might be other "holes" and also witnesses who would confirm the existence of the graves and show their location. The Public prosecutor of the Republic of Macedonia was notified on these meetings and also on the possibilities of undertaking procedural notions. It was for the Public Prosecutor and the Ministry of the interior to carry on the necessary contacts in order to fulfill the needed procedural notions.

For the already mentioned fact that the Public Prosecutor received the anonymous letter saying that the kidnapped persons are murdered and buried in a mass grave with a hand scheme enclosed the following officials were informed in written (on October 15,2001): the Minister of the interior Mr. Lube Boskoski, the Director of the Public Security Bureau Mr. Goran Mitevski and the National Security Advisor to President Trajkovski, Mr. Stevo Pendarovski.

On October 30, 2001 (Friday) the Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Macedonia had a meeting in his cabinet, with the relatives of the kidnapped persons from Tetovo and the surroundings. On the meeting, the Public Prosecutor was informed about the place, the time and the way Public Prosecutor was informed about the place, the time and the way these individuals were kidnapped. The relatives of the kidnapped informed the Prosecutor about their previous meetings with the political leaders and the international organizations in the country.

On November 4,2001 (Friday) the Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Macedonia had a meeting in his cabinet, with the relatives of the kidnapped persons from Tetovo and the surroundings. On the meeting, the Public Prosecutor was informed about the place, the time and the way these individuals were kidnapped. The relatives of the kidnapped informed the Prosecutor about their prevoious meetings with the political leaders and the international organizations in the country.

On November 4,2001 (Sunday) by request of the Minister of the interior Mr. lube Boskoski there has been a meeting held in his Cabinet. The Minister invited he representatives of the EUMM, OSCE, NATO, ICRC, the ICTY, KFOR and the Amber Fox Special Task Forces. Besides the Minister, the Director of the Public. Security Bureau Mr. Goran Mitevski and the Undersecretary of the Uniformed Police Department General Risto Galevski have represented the Ministry of the interior. The State Public Prosecutor Mr. Stavre Dzikov attended this meeting. The aim of the meeting was for the Minister to inform the representatives of the international organizations to the Republic of Macedonia on the details and the knowledge the Ministry possesses for the mass grave in the vicinity of the village of Neprosteno, Tetovo area, for which there were many speculations in the Public.

The Minister presented some of the details with regard to the existence of a mass grave in the vicinity of the village of Neprosteno in which six bodies of the 12 kidnapped Macedonians were buried and at the same time the representatives of the international organizations were asked to give their support and to present their attitude regarding their involvement into the procedure for revealing the mass grave in Neprosteno. The EUMM representative said that they could be involved in the procedure if the ICTY experts ask them to. However they were supposed to ask for permission form the NQ in Vienna. The other representatives of the international organizations presented similar attitude. The NATO representative said that their mandate was not to monitor but to secure the monitors. The ICTY representative in Macedonia Mr. A. Szydlic said that he would inform the ICTY HQ in order to get further instructions, and he expected to have those instructions in a day or two.

On November 9m2001, (Friday), the Director of the Public Security Bureau with the Ministry of the interior, Mr. Mitevski and the deputy of the Police general Mr. Jovanovski held a meeting with the representatives of the international organizations in the Republic of Macedonia: Civilian Liaison office of NATO in Skopje, the Special task Force Amber Fox, the ICTY, The Officer in charge for the security of the UN Organizations. The aim of this meeting was again informing the international organizations about the plan of the Macedonian security forces to start the operation of the exhumation of the bodies, victims to the terrorist of the so called NLA, believed to be buried in a mass grave in the vicinity of the village of Neprosteno, Tetovo area. The Director emphasized that all the necessary preparations on the side of the Ministry and the Forensic institute headed by D. Aleksej Duma, as well as the police forensic experts were completed. The Director informed the auditorium the plan was to start the operation of securing the terrain where the mass grave is believed to be, in the early morning hours of the 10 - th day of November (Saturday). After this initial step there will be a security and risk assessment to be presented on a meeting scheduled for the same day at 14.00 Hours in a same composition as the present one, having the EUMM and OSCE also.

On November 11,2001 (Saturday), upon a request of the President of the State Mr. Boris Trajkovski there was a meeting held at 11 Hours in his Cabinet. Besides the President the following representatives were present: the Minister of the interior, the Public prosecutor of the Republic of Macedonia, Prosident 's National Security Advisor, the Director of the Public Security Bureau, the Deputy of the Police General, the special EU representative Mr. Le Roy, the special EU Ambassador Mr. Noyberg, General Kerl, the NATO Ambassador Mr. Vollers, the OSCE Ambassador Mr. Genes, and Mr.Tacker expert of the ICTY. This was the meeting when the President gave an explicit order to start the operation of securing the terrain around the allege mass grave locality, the following day.

The following day there has been another meeting at the President Trajkovski's Cabinet with the first representatives of the international community: Mr. Le Roy, special EU representative, NATO Ambassador Mr.Vollers, OSCE Ambassador Mr. Genes, and the Minister of the interior Mr. Boskoski and the Republic Prosecutor Mr. Djikov. The President insisted that the police forces start the first phase of the operation of securing the terrain around the believed locality to be a mass grave in the vicinity of the village of Neprosteno i. E start the first phase of the exhumation procedure.

That same day in the late night hour's three police officers of the Ministry of interior were attacked and brutally killed in an ambush on the road leading to the village of Trebos. The representatives of the international community as well the ICTY were informed on this tragic event immediately.

Out of these reasons the police operation for securing the terrain around the mass grave has been stopped.

On November the 13,2002, the Minister of the interior held another meeting in the Ministry, with all of the previously mentioned representatives of the international community in Macedonia. The aim of the meeting was to consider the situation as for the exhumation and it was agreed that the exhumation procedure should continue as soon as there is a positive security assessment.

PUBLIC PROSECUTION OFFICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Stavre Djikov