Kosovo/Kosova As Seen, As Told Torture and ill-treatment in private homes during police searches Police stations and detention facilities were known to be locations of frequent violence against individuals. But many Kosovo Albanians, especially those residing in areas close to UCK-controlled territory or which were known to be sympathetic to the UCK, also came to expect violence when they were visited in their homes by Serbian police. House searches were frequently carried out in violation of the right to privacy and all procedural safeguards. Beatings, threats and insults were common during Serbian operations such as the search for individuals based on a court summons (as witnesses in a trial, for instance), weapons searches or searches for wanted members of criminal gangs alleged to be hiding in certain locations. The following case was reported in detail by the OSCE-KVM Co-ordination Centre in Decani, under the Pec Regional Centre. On 30 January, about 30 police officers armed with machine-guns came to a house in Slup 18 (Decani) in two Lada Niva jeeps and one armoured truck. Their commander was wearing a black uniform and had a mask over his face. He stayed in his jeep while his men conducted the house search. They stated that they were looking for a specific Albanian villager and weapons. The wanted man and several other men were placed in one room, the women and the children in another. The men had to let their trousers down. ¼ Different policemen came into the room and the men were kicked and beaten all over their bodies with a belt. They were also threatened with weapons and told that they should be killed or sent in uniform to the front. The men were terrified. The abuse continued for about one hour. At the same time, three women and five children were being held in another room. After a while, the policemen arranged it so that two policemen were alone with one woman. They then threatened her with a knife and with a long metal stick. They told her that she was going to be killed if she did not answer their questions. One of the policemen approached her and put his hands on her breasts. He asked her if she was a woman or a girl. She was too terrified to answer. Then the policemen suddenly left, but on their way out, one of them took a portable radio from the house. In this case the OSCE-KVM discussed with the victims about what they themselves could do and what the OSCE-KVM could do and considered the risks involved. They came to the conclusion that they should go to the local police in Decani and make a complaint. The OSCE-KVM arranged the meeting and the group met with the police commander, who was the Deputy Chief of Police, on 2 February. The complainants were very nervous but the Deputy Chief of Police calmed them and acted in a very friendly fashion. He took all necessary notes, he looked at the injuries and at the belt that had been used. He became very upset when he was told about the radio that had been stolen and said that that was the worst of it all. He apologized to the complainants and assured them that something like this would not happen again and that he would find and punish the policemen who behaved incorrectly. On 3 February, OSCE-KVM met again with the police commander, http://www.osce.org/kosovo/documents/reports/hr/part1/ch6.htm (6 of 12)12/5/2003 11:51:07 AM