KMDLNJ / CDHRF
Short history of the Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms of
Prishtina


The Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms, based in 
Prishtina,
was formed on December 14th, 1989. It was the first alternative organization 
in
the monist system of Kosova. The Council spearheaded and has ever since its
foundation been engaged in the protection of human rights and freedoms of
citizens in accordance with international standards. The year of the 
Council's
foundation coincided with the beginning of the processes which ended with 
the
break-up of totalitarian Yugoslavia and with bloodshed between the 
hegemonical
Serbian regime and other ethnic communities which composed the federation. 
In
Kosova this was the ninth year of Albanians' life under a brutal government
repression, lead by Serbian nationalists and chauvinists, which held a 
political
and administrative monopoly over the state. It was a year of significant
discontent of Albanians, who by peaceful manifestations asked not just for 
more
rights, but the end of the repression of even the little rights they had 
enjoyed
before. They asked for more democratic freedoms. It was this year that the
historical hunger strike of the miners of Trepa was held, who were closed 
in
the deep galleries of the mines, and who were later joined by miners of 
other
mines and the students of Kosova. It was the year of massive marches of 
protest
of Albanians against the injustices that they had experienced and were
experiencing. It was the year when these marches were extinguished with the
blood of tens of Albanians. It was also the year of the beginning of the 
drastic
reduction of the little political and territorial autonomy Albanians 
enjoyed.
The prisons of Serbia and Yugoslavia were still full of Albanian political
prisoners.
A group of intellectuals, with democratic inclinations, grouped around
scientific and educational institutions, in the media and Kosova's Writers
Association, took the initiative of forming an organization for the defence 
of
freedom of expression, but found it more reasonable to form the Council for 
the
Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms. On the Day of Human Rights, December 
10th,
the initiating group was formed, and on December 14th the formation of the
Council was declared, despite the fears of the apprehension and persecution 
of
its members by the government. The Council's first president was Dr. Idriz 
Ajeti
and its secretary was Dr. Zekeria Cana. The Council had 32 members.
In parallel with the efforts of sensitizing the public opinion about 
flagrant
violations of human rights and freedoms of Albanians, the Council 
established
contacts with international human rights and freedoms organizations, in
countries where these rights are violated, and with the International 
Federation
of Helsinki, based in Vienna, with the International Federation of Human 
Rights
based in Paris, Amnesty International in London, Helsinki Watch in New York 
and
with similar organizations in Europe: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, The 
Netherlands,
Germany, Belgium, then with Pax Christi and tens of other organizations. In 
1990
the Council is accepted as a member of IFHR of Paris, and with the help of 
this
organization members of the Council have participated in all sessions of the
Commission and Sub-Commission for human rights of the United Nations in 
Geneva,
as well as in many other international conferences on human rights in Europe 
and
the United States, in which the representatives of the Council presented 
their
viewpoints and reported on the situation of human rights and freedoms in 
Kosova.

The Council, which had registered with the proper federal authorities of the
former Yugoslavia, but which was prevented and is prevented to operate 
freely by
the local Serbian-dominated authorities of Kosova, continues to record cases 
of
human rights abuses without regard to the ethnicity of the victims, and to
report these abuses to the public, nationally and internationally. The 
Council
had ascribed this duty to itself with Article 1 of its statute, which says:
"The Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms reviews all issues
which pertain to the realization of human rights and freedoms, individual 
and
collective, guaranteed by the Charter of the United Nations, conventions,
Helsinki conferences and other international acts."
In the spring of 1991, Adem Demai, who was released from his third 
imprisonment
on political charges on April 21st, 1990 (Mr. Demai spent a total of 28 
years
as a political prisoner), becomes head of the Council. With his authority 
and
his hard work, together with his new secretary Mr. Zenun elaj, Mr. Demai
advanced the work of the Council in a fundamental way. The Council received 
even
greater popular support, it obtained an office (the Council did not have its 
own
premises until then), and since the human rights situation of Albanians had
worsened, the Council formed its groups in all the largest cities and towns 
and
all commune centers of Kosova. Today there are 27 functioning subcouncils 
with
around 2000 volunteers in virtually every town of Kosova. The central 
Council
has 72 members of various profiles: academicians, professors, writers, 
artists,
doctors, engineers, lawyers, economists, journalists and several honorary
members world-wide.
The Council receives up to 30 reports daily from the field, which are 
processed
and verified several times before being published in the Weekly Report, 
which
has been, since the Council's foundation, published in Albanian and English. 
As
a rule every report must be supported by at least three independent sources.
Aside from the written declaration of the person who alleges that his rights
have been abused, the reporting party must also submit a document related to 
the
case released by the persecuting body (if one is released), with pictures 
and a
medical certificate in cases of physical abuse, or with declarations of
eyewitnesses of the event.
Since the foundation of the Council there have been very rare occasions that 
we
have published an untrue case.
The reports of the Council are distributed by e-mail to hundreds of 
addresses
and are sent to foreign embassies in Belgrade and the government of rump
Yugoslavia.
There are thousands of pages of material - testimonies and reports, which 
are
saved in the only office of the Council, which in lacking funds cannot
systematically and professionally process them and publish them in separate
publications. The Council has been supported by individuals and 
international
organizations (Soros Foundation, Hivos of Holland, the Danielle Miterand 
Fund,
Cafodi of Britain, the Swiss Group, National Endowment for Democracy of the 
U.S.
and many individuals and organizations which have expressed the desire to 
remain
anonymous). Since October of this year, CDHRF has its home page on the 
Internet,
at http://www.albanian.com/kmdlnj.
Since August of 1996 the Council has made available to the public an S.O.S.
phone number for victims of national discrimination, which provides these
persons with free legal counseling and help. This service is financially
supported by the International Federation for the Defence of Human Rights 
from
France. The Council receives daily visits by diplomatic representatives of
various countries and leaders of various international humanitarian
organizations.
The Council has close relations with similar humanitarian organizations from
Belgrade (Fund for Humanitarian Law etc.), Podgorica, Sanjak and Vojvodina.
For the end, it is worthwhile to mention that the president of the Council, 
Mr.
Adem Demai, on December 12, 1991, was awarded the Saharov Prize by the 
European
Parliament, on October 24th, 1992, the Club of Rectors of European 
Universities
awarded him a prize of appreciation, and holds the Award of the University 
of
Oslo, which was presented to him in December, 1995.





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