To the kind attention of Mr. Cornelio Sommaruga

President of the ICRC

Brussels, May 19, 1999

Mr. President,

We take the liberty to write to you this letter, to present to your kind attention the case of Prof. Ukshin Hoti. Prof Hoti, one of the most prominent intellectuals of Kosovo, was repeatedly sentenced for his opinions and has been nominated last year for the Sakharov Prize of the European Parliament.

Professor Hoti has ultimated his sentence last Monday 17 May, and should have been released that day from the "Dubrova" prison near the municipality of Istok (Kosovo), in a region under the control of the Serbian Army and of paramilitary forces. To the best of our knowlegde he has not been released yet.

Under current circumstances, as you may understand, his release and his stay in Kosovo, without appropriate protection, would imply serious risks for his physical integrity.

For these reasons, and because of the presence the Greek Red Cross on the ground, we have contacted President Olga Monaru, asking her to do her utmost to escort him out of Kosovo to a safer destination in Macedonia where part of his family has found shelter.

We would be very grateful, Mr President, for any kind of help that you and the ICRC could provide to Prof. Hoti.

Thanking you for your kind attention in this matter, we look forward to hearing from you soon. Best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Olivier Dupuis Gianfranco Dell'Alba

Tel 0032-2-284.71.98

Fax 0032-2-284.91.98