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In Serbian Prison, A Poet Languishes

The New York Times

To the Editor:

As the son of the imprisoned ethnic Albanian poet Dr. Flora Brovina, I was honored this week to represent her as she received the 2000 PEN/ Barbara Goldsmith Freedom-to-Write Award. On behalf of my mother and my family, I want to commend you for calling attention to my mother's plight (Arts pages, April 10).

According to her recent letter to my brother in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, my mother's spirit is high, but her health condition is not promising. She needs to be hospitalized, not imprisoned without proper medical care. Her letter, the second in a year, does not say much because of censorship.

Her only complaint is that she is not permitted paper and pen. As a poet, she is hurt not to be able to express herself. Her message is for us to be strong and to take care of each other.

My mother was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but she is not alone; there are close to 5,000 ethnic Albanians (ages 13 to 70) held hostage in Serbian prisons. We need to do something about these people.

My mom's second appeal in Serbian court will seek to change her sentence, but we as free people must play our part to secure her release. She is important to the peace process and to the democracy that we all want to establish in the Balkans and in the world.

YLLI BEGU

New York, April 12, 2000