Brussels, 29/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - On 28 December, the French Presidency adopted the following declaration on behalf of the EU (unofficial translation), launching an appeal to President Kostunica so that he might release the Kosovar Albanian political prisoners (the Yugoslav President had made a first gesture by releasing, on 1 November, the human rights activist, Flora Brovina).
"The European Union calls on the Yugoslav and Serb authorities to find appropriate legal means to ensure the rapid release of Kosovar Albanian prisoners held for political reasons. The Union also calls on the authorities in Belgrade to envisage amnesty measures, by the appropriate legal means, for persons who refused to take part in the fighting during the Kosovo conflict".
We recall that the number of political prisoners, Albanians of Kosovo, held in Serb prisons (generally condemned for "terrorism") is estimated at around 800. Furthermore, according to information from various NGOs, several thousand people who refused to fight during the Kosovo conflict are concerned by an eventual amnesty (some of them are in prison, while others found refuge abroad).