The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights is astonished by the quantity of hatred inspiring the terrorist act in Kosovo, in which two children lost their lives, while six were severely injured. This act of unprecedented violence in the village of Gorazdevac is a cold-blooded murder of innocent inhabitants of Kosovo; it is contrary to the tendency towards reconciliation and towards the restitution of ethnic tolerance. Besides this hideous crime, the stoning of the vehicle attempting to bring injured children to the hospital is also unbelievable, resulting in the injuries to child and the man who tried to carry out this rescue action.
Gorazdevac is the only village in Kosovo which no Serb left after the arrival of the international forces in 1999.
The Belgrade Centre appeals again to the competent organs in Kosovo to review their attitude and to undertake active measures which would lead to the fulfilment of their undertaking to respect human rights, and by that, also to show the sincerity of the engagement of international bodies. Otherwise, this type of incidents will appear again; they will reduce the rights of all inhabitants of Kosovo and adversely affect peace and security in the Balkan region.
The Centre expresses its hope that the newly nominated head of UNMIK Mr. Harri Holkeri will take measures within his competence to establish respect of rule of law, security and protection of all inhabitants of Kosovo.
The Centre calls on the members of the Albanian ethnic community to condemn terrorists and to distance themselves from violence and from those among them who undermine reconciliation and peaceful interethnic life. We also appeal to Albanian politicians and non-governmental organizations to condemn terrorism and to uphold the international judiciary and to clearly accept that perpetrators must be punished, regardless of their ethnicity.
