UNMIK/PR/530
Pristina-- Ninety-nine more prisoners have been released today following the Law on Amnesty, which was passed by the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on 26 February.
They crossed the border at Merdare this afternoon. Sixty- three were detained in Belgrade, 10 in Zrenjanin, 21 in Smederevo and five in Prokuplje. Among the 99 released, 31 are from Gnjilan, 18 from Prizren, 23 from Pristina, 23 from Pec/Peja and 2 from Mitrovica.
The released were taken to the ICRC warehouse where friends and families were waiting for them. This release makes a total of 148 who had been held in Serbian prisons.
The prisoners were handed over to the ICRC and UNMIK by the detaining authorities and transported to Pristina.
UNMIK welcomes those people who were held in prison for so long as an important step towards healing the wounds of war and creating a peaceful co-existence between communities in Kosovo.
Hundreds of Kosovo-Albanians were transferred to Serbian jails in 1999 just before NATO troops took control of Kosovo. More releases are expected in the next days.