The property is an open conflict even in Shkodra

The law approved in the early '90, meant to solve the property problems, is still causing conflicts in North Albania, especially in Shkodra region. An often contested law and in many senses, many times considered as inapplicable in our country's actual conditions, has been causing infinite problems and human victims.
According to non official reports of the half 2010, responsible of different police departments as well as mayors confirm that property conflicts are many, causing real tragedies for many families. These are conflicts that make families living closed-in, and many times associated with violence, threats or even murders, often not reported to the police.
Only in the municipality of Vau Dejes of Shkodra there are 3-4 conflicts a week, most of which for property motives. The village of Narac is typical for this area, the 700 families of this village cannot use the property owned, as this property is taken and used by the ex-proprietors of the village Hajmel.
Property problems are present since after 1990 even in Shkodra. The family of Nadir Harabeli is facing this risking his own life and family members. Nadir's history, not yet 45, begun with the pluralism process in Albania. Like many other families, Nadir's family took advantage of the privatization of the common properties according to the law on privatization. Along with his house, Nadir took also a courtyard, as he lived in the ground floor. Not too long after that, a person presented himself to the Nadir's house pretending to be the old proprietor of the ground where Nadir's house was built, asking him to leave it, though it became Nadir's property, according to the law. The old proprietor offered Nadir the same amount of money he paid to get his property in "Parruca" quarter of Shkodra. The Harabeli family didn't agree pointing out that the property was much more worth, as they paid the rent for many years to the State. The old proprietor didn't give up reminding them that they'll have problems from him, his sons and even his nephews. He left threatening Nadir: "You won't enjoy this house!". The aggravated situation forced Nadir to contact the Peace and Reconciliation Missionaries, who tried many times to solve the conflict, yet without success, as the old proprietors were insisting on having back the ground according to the rules of the Canon of Lek Dukagjini, though the Harabeli family had it in a law basis. Pressure and menaces toward Nadir and his family increased. He was firstly threatened to have his wife, Merita Harabeli, kidnapped, and then his children. Time after time, the old proprietor of the house and his relatives show themselves at his door, menacing and asking them to leave the property, otherwise they'd be physically eliminated. In these conditions, unwilling to leave their only property the law gave them, Nadir and his family had to move to Tirana. Life wouldn't be quiet even there. Beyond economical problems they faced the old proprietor's sons and nephews. In one occasion, taking advantage of the troublesome situation in Albania, they almost reached their goal to eliminate them by hitting Nadir, who could escape miraculously. The only way to have his, his wife's and children's lives safe was to leave for Greece. For a certain period there was some peace, while his relatives in Shkodra notified him his life was in serious danger, as the house's and the ground's value increased with the years. On August 14, 2010, while Nadir and his family were making their way back from a visit to some relatives of them in Shkodra, where he came hiding, they were shot, but he and his family escaped death miraculously. They went back to Greece with the hope to continue their lives. But this didn't happen. As Albania got the visa-liberalization in December 2010, the sons of the old proprietor of Nadir's house found his address in Greece. Nadir Harabeli's life was safe from the blind revenge only because warned by some Albanians. A few minutes before the aggressors could reach them, the entire family had to leave to unknown direction, fearing their enemy would find them again. They probably left Greece too, as they could be easily found. A family of 5 members, Nadir, Merita and their children Nadia, Orjeta and Bianka have to live hidden as their lives are in serious danger.
While this was a clear case, we notice that even in Bushat there are 1050 families in property conflicts. Only in the village of Shkjeze there are 200 families suffering the same conflict.
In another area of Shkodra there are 1600 families in property conflicts. Property conflicts are mostly present in Malesi e Madhe, where the law couldn't be executed, for the ground was mostly given according to the old divisions and this brought many conflicts between families claiming the same place.
In 2008 there were 3 murders in Shkodra for property motives, in 2007 there was one murder for the same reason, in 2006 there were 2 murders for the same reason, in 2005 there were 2 murderes, in 2004 there were 4 murders and in 2003 there were 5 murders, always for property conflicts.
Though the murders are decreasing, the conflicts are increasing becoming a concerning problem without any solution, according to the police.

The Editorial Office

Through the labyrinths of an old enmity

Blood-feud, this pestilence of the Albanian people, is still keeping in its claws the lives of hundreds of families, even in the third millennium. The phenomenon was back amongst Albanians mostly after 1990, even though things happened many years ago. Blood-feud had its best mostly after 1997, when everyone had a gun after braking in the military warehouses of the Albanian army. Time after time we've been writing through the "SHE" journal about tragic blood-feud cases, but the case of Preke Potaj is one of the most prominent. The blood-feud history begins about 60 years ago. Tome Martini, a cousin of Preke Potaj, killed Bajram Murataj, from the village of Brucaj, after a quarrel. The enmity between the two families got worse even because it involved two different areas, that of Pult, where the family of Preke Potaj was, and that of Malesi e Madhe, where the murdered Murataj was from. Because of the communist regime, this enmity remained still for many years, to return along with democracy, reaching its highest point after 1997. During 20 years, after the first threat to be killed, Preke Potaj had to live hiding for these 20 years. Time after time he had to move out in order to provide for the rest of the family. On September 5, 1999, Preke was shot by people driving a Mercedes. This occurred in the village Grude e Re, and it was Preke Potaj's destiny not to in that ambush.
Being the target of this blood-feud, Preke Potaj was again in serious danger on November 21, 2006. In one of the main squares of Shkodra, near the "Rozafa" Hotel, an off-road vehicle attempted to kill him. This attack caused Preke serious wounds in the right leg. It was never made possible to know the authors who tried twice to kill Preke Potaj, as the police often works together with those who want to revenge. Their only hope, the Reconciliation and Peace Missionaries Association, couldn't convince the other side to give up their revenge, as it was a conflict started about 60 years ago. Preke Potaj, born on October 28, 1970, many years after the conflict begun, is seriously threatened in his birthplace. According to the Canon of Lek Dukagjini, Preke Potaj should be killed at any cost, because blood pays blood. In these circumstances Preke has to hide his address, for a bullet is waiting him for many years, and can kill him at any moment in the name of blood-feud, this pestilence of the third millennium amongst Albanians.

Rifat Ymeri

Many arrested and violated over the 21st January events

The protests of a few days ago in Tirana, on January 21st, beside the 4 victims and a police violence over the protesters, as well as many were arrested, is now following with other pressure on the participants. There’s a long list of arrested people from Shkodra, whowere sentenced to 10-21 days of prison, from the Court of Tirana. The Police of Shkodra is now moving toward executing the arrests, identifying them through the images of the protests. This police pressure reached Ermal Heta too, one of the citizens of Shkodra participating the protests. He was sent to the police twice until now, while enduring pressure in various ways, checking his family business, though this family is well-known for their contribution for the Socialist Party. Ermal, his father Musa Heta and his brother Luan, were in Tirana on January 21st, yet the other two were not sent to the police and faced no pressure, but a bill, certainly politically moved.
The arrests in Shkodra are very often in these last days, while police pressure is used in various ways toward the protesters of January 21st, when 4 were killed, others were wounded and hundreds were arrested. The Editorial Office

The Melaj family is in serious danger

The fate has given Gjovalin Melaj a very gloomy life. Until 1997 his life was in serious danger for political motives, a very concerning phenomenon in Albania, as many Albanian have been shot dead. Even the former congressman Azem Hajdari, one of the founders of the Democratic Party, was shot dead 13 years ago, on September 12, 1998. People like Gjovalin Melaj, who invested for a free Albania, are persecuted, mistreated or even killed. Even in these days, Albania is subdued to the power of protests, while four were shot dead by the bullets of the Lifeguards on January 21, 2011, right in front of the Premier Offices. The State isn't functioning yet. The same lifeguards, who received the command to shoot, are in prison today, while the commanders lead the country. The police, the army and all the administration could be used in many ways while the law doesn't protect them, but puts their lives in danger. There's an abnormality from the people filling the streets using violence, up to the highest levels of the State hiding in and being defended with bullets by the irritated crowds. This is where it begins the painful calvary, endangering the life of Gjovalin Melaj, former policeman of the border police corps. In 1998, when the army warehouses were broken and people took all the weapons, Gjovalin Melaj, as a border police, caught a great amount of illegal cigarettes, as well as the two smugglers. Yet there was anarchy, just like today, while innocent people were killed by the bullets of the Lifeguard. The smugglers, as it often happened before, considered this as blood-feud, referring to the Canon of Leke Dukagjini. There came a moment when Gjovalin Melaj was stabbed. He was hospitalized and for his good luck he escaped death. Nevertheless, he found a way to leave his country, in order to save his life. But the avenger doesn't give up. They ask his brother the price of the illegal cigarettes to be smuggled. It was in 1998 when the three brothers of the Dokaj family, increase conflicts with Gjeke Melaj, Gjovalin's brother. In the conditions of a rough conflict, Gjeke's cousins shoot on one of the Dokaj family, wounding him. Troubles increase. In August 2008 Tonin Melaj was wounded. Here was also involved the National Reconciliation Committee, an organization curing the blood-feud and conflict problems in Albania. This organization was often successful on stopping conflicts, but in this case their efforts were unsuccessful and still today they couldn't reconcile these families. The most tragic event occurred on December 9, 2010, when Kolë Melaj, Gjovalin's father, was killed. The conflict is now very hard to stop. Gjovalin Melaj and his family are in serious danger. The situation seems more hopeless now that protests are being held all over Albania and the international forces are unable to reconcile politics, even the less they can stop conflicts that every day are taking away innocent lives.

The Editorial Office

She wanted to get engaged but was wound with a knife

Is known as an exemplary citizen, but the reality in Shkoder is quite different. The relations between the young and their religion believe, are very few and in some cases, end almost tragically.
As every other young, even Samet Halili was known and felt in love with a girl. A sit is natural, you can not command the heart, even from the religious corresponding of the girl. Samet, resident of the quarter "Partizani" of Shkoder, felt in love with the girl with the initials M.A. The young girl was from Malesi e Madhe with origin, a terrain which is not known for tolerance of relations through the young who appertain to different religions, but even as a region with a very expanded and age-long influence the Canon of Lek Dukagjini. The relation between the two young people began to enforce and they met very frequently with each other. Their love is clean as their young age. They promise too each other love till death, while the family of the girl with the initials M.A. was totally against their relationship. The plans of the young were related to a soon engagement, to celebrate the relation of their love.
Unfortunately, after a while this relation was discovered by the girl family. They made various pressures to the girl to leave Samet, at the beginning the girl did not care to the pressures and threatening, and continued to meet her beloved. Parallel with the pressures toward the girl, her family, has prepared even the punishment for Samet, who for no reason must not get engaged to their daughter with the initials M.A.
The Morning of the date 5 June 2010, as Samet was taking a coffee in a bar near the quarter, two persons came near by his table. Then they remind to his love affair with the girl with the initials M.A. they asked him to give up by threatening him with his life. This was not enough, but in few minutes they wound him with a knife in the breast. Is was a good fortune made possible that the edge of the knife did not touch his vital organs, by causing his death. Since that day, the family of Samet Halili is in blood feud with the family of the girl with the initials M.A., from highland. Now between them is the canon of Lek Dukagjini and the family of the girl considers himself dishonour and wants to be repaid with the life of Samet.
This is one of the most tragic histories of the Shkoder city, similar with the world tragic histories. Differently fro these stories, this event is a sorrowful reality of the biggest north city.

Vasel Gilaj