from International Press Institute (IPI), Vienna, Mar 29, 1999

(IPI/IFEX) - IPI is strongly condemning the killing of Baton Haxhiu, editor-in-chief of the leading Kosovo Albanian newspaper, Koha Ditore.

IPI was informed that apart from Haxhiu, four other prominent Albanians, including Fehmi Agani, a member of the Kosovo Albanian delegation to the peace talks in Rambouillet, France, were "executed" on Sunday, 28 March 1999. According to a NATO military spokesman, the killings took place some time after the Albanian leaders attended the funeral of lawyer Bajram Kelmendi, who was shot dead along with his two sons by Serb police on the first night of NATO strikes on Wednesday, 24 March.

Acccording to Kosovo Albanian sources, the Pristina offices of "Koha Ditore" were destroyed and the caretaker murdered by Serbian police following the start of the air campaign.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to the President:
- condemning this heinous crime
- urging him to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice
- further urging him not to use the NATO air campaign as a pretext to increase the suppression of the media in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia

APPEALS TO:
His Excellency Slobodan Milosevic
President of Yugoslavia
Savezna Skupstina
11000 Belgrade
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Fax: + 381 11 636 775
Email: slobodan.milosevic@gov.yu

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

For further information, contact:
IPI
Spiegelgasse 2
A-1010 Vienna, Austria
tel: +43 1 512 90 11
fax: +43 1 512 90 14
e-mail: Michael Kudlak at ipi.vienna@xpoint.at, or
Peter Goff at info@freemedia.at, Internet site.