"Visas" – free way for blood-feud to Europe

Blerti Delia

There are months now that the Albanian media is filled with spots on the expected visas liberalization for Albanians by the end of 2010. It is obviously a normal step to warn Albanians that there are rules even to this new opening to Albania. There's a long talking about rules as well as penalties. You cannot get an employment, can't stay more than 90 days within the "Schengen" space etc., etc., etc. Probably this campaign might have an influence on most of the citizens, who might refrain themselves considering the possibility of a 5 years refusal of a certain EU country in the case limits are trespassed. Nevertheless, there's a category that loses nothing from liberalization but getting a real possibility to live. They're just people and families suffering because of blood-feud. It's a group of people who suffered terrible consequences in their country during these last 20 years: the fear of having any member of the family killed, up to the fifth generation; disregard of the minor age or sex; heavy economical problems because of the very long restriction, as well as many other detailed motives. But how many belong to this category?
Numbers speak by themselves and we're showing them without any comment.
- 5200 murders counted in about 20 years, since 1990, because of the revenge mentality of the Kanun, for honor and blood-feud.
- 1400 families living in restriction (closed in), including women and children, because of the revenge mentality of the Kanun, for honor and blood-feud.
- 1939 blood-feud was almost eliminated because of the citizens' solidarity with the law and the good influence of the well-functioning of justice. Albania became a modern democratic country.
-1945 after World War II, as the communist regime was established, the law was arbitrary and the murderer was executed by the State, leaving no place to revenge for blood-feud. Along with extreme measures to control the individual, the State prohibited religions too, eliminated their institutions as well as many values of the cultural inheritance.
-1991-1998
2300 families had to close in because of their enmities. During 15 years of political pluralism, the irresponsibility of this political class didn't consider the very necessary suggestions of the community.
-1996-1997
murders and hatred among individuals or groups raised especially during 1996-1997, because of the rough political fight and the failure of pyramidal companies. 1500 were killed only in 1997.
-2002-2005
126 families suffered tragic violence, as there were killed women and children. 1270 men escaped abroad to hide from the avenger, leaving for many years all the burden of suffer and efforts for survival to the women and children.
The numbers have been offered by the Reconciliation Missions or Comities, while the State obviously offers other minimal statistics. This, for the simple reason that the Albanian police authorities is not in control of the situation in this case. The police have registered less than 10% of the conflicts in the social life. Police is not supported by justice and is misused by politics. The police officers lack the minimal means to intervene to prevent the endless crimes and enmities all over the country. There are 400 killed among the police officers while trying to do their job.
There's an alarming reality. It is a very large number of Albanian citizens who feel threatened in their country. All these are probably those who will avail themselves of the freedom of movement through the "Schengen" space. In a simple calculation, at least 20-25 thousands of Albanians might move toward "Schengen" borders looking for security for their lives. Many might think that many revenge and blood-feud stories were made up. Actually, all of them find a great support right from the UN. By the end of February of this year, the phenomenon of blood-feud brought a fact-collecting mission on blood-feud, led by Philip Alston. For 9 days he stayed in Albania to gather facts on blood-feud and in the end he declared that "blood-feud murders, revenge murders from the family of the victim toward the family of the murderer are still having corroding consequences in society", and asked the Government to gather information on such incidents and raise efforts to reconcile families. Now, therefore, this problem is official for the UN. It is very clear already that even the State and its structures have given up to this phenomenon. Except of putting some articles for the blood-feud within the Penal Code, very little was done to prevent crimes in the name of blood-feud, as well as eliminating the restriction of many families living closed in. There's the danger for the EU to face a very Biblical exodus of the Albanian citizens trying to escape blood-feud. None is caring about this category, even to give a hope in their own country, encouraging them to escape abroad involuntarily, yet with the continuous danger of being killed, now even in the "Schengen" visas-free space. This category, while trying to solve their important vital problem, might cause to bring back the visas-regime for Albanians. This article might try to be a modest bell to make the State's structures more sensible to the problem. If other categories might be tempted to stay over the limits of 90 days within the "Schengen" space, mostly because of poverty, it is 100% sure for the category of citizens subject to blood-feud that they'll stay in the free space of the EU, causing a great number of Albanians to ask for asylum to save their lives. It might not be to late for the State to think about this phenomenon, considering even this possible consequence after visas-liberalization of the EU for Albania.

Blood-feud, every day taking away innocent lives

In the sense of self-justice today, as well as tomorrow, has no chance to change for good for the civilization, of alleviation the medieval codes of the Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini. Self-justice goes over the tradition practice. A few days ago the pastor of the Evangelical Church "The Word of Christ", the 26 years old Dritan Prroni, was killed by Mark Njemza, covering the main pedestrian road of the northern town. The victim, a religious leader, was killed among hundreds of people and pupils passing by, as in 2005 the victim's uncle had killed the murderer's brother. The murderer wounded another one passing by, while attempting to run away. The pastor, who was living for a long time closed in, decided to go out and follow his service to the church, but was killed very near the church building. The life of many innocent people is overfilled with such dark views, awaited by the bullet, if they leave the house. There's no way for the law to have any influence even to plain conflicts of blood-feud. There are many victims. One of the victims of blood-feud is this young guy in the picture. His name is Dorian Logja, born on February 22, 1983. As well as for thousands of others, there's a bullet waiting for this young boy, although innocent. The conflict that threatens his life started for property problems. His father, Xhelal Logja, from Ura e Shtrenjte of Postrribe, near Shkoder, had a property conflict with the citizen T.L. in 1999. The conflict worsened bringing forward the Kanun, until the moment when a familiar of Xhelal killed T.L. Two families are now in conflict and the gun decides. The son of T.L., named B.L., has restricted the family Logja to close in. Dorian Logja, though he was only 16 when it happened, is now between life and death. In these days he lives, his life is like a Purgatory within Hell. Fear follows him every moment of day and night. All the attempts of reconciliation failed and revenge is predictable. No matter the many attempts of the Peace and Reconciliation Missionaries Association of Albania, it wasn't possible to close the conflict. This is the very dark face of the Albanian life, while the most of murders for conflicts are registered in north Albania, especially in Shkoder, whose roads are filled even with the blood of women, children, priests.
The Editorial Office