nr.49 / 16 shtatot 2003

numrat

Who protects the criminals?

Fraud is dictatorship and the dictatorship is fraud. The Albanian men of power have promised so much, yet nothing good was done but strengthening their dictate. And the dictate dressed with political clothes has roughly hit those aspiring for democracy. The explosion of these last days, at the house of the leader of the Albanian Liberal Right-winged Thought Party, Mustafë Lici, also one of the candidates for mayor of Shkodra, was doubtlessly a well studied scene of the political Mafia, directed perhaps from abroad, as he is a man of high esteem in the biggest northern city of Albania. The second floor of his house was totally destroyed and his life, as well as the life of his wife and children was in serious danger. There seems to be no chance to find out who were the criminals. The life of the Albanians is being every day more in danger. Many are the target of segments of the politics. The anticommunist Jozef Gjon Milan and his wife Alma Marash Milan are victims of a medieval violence, with the attempt to eliminate them. Jozef, as a member and activist of the Republican Party, participated in many peaceful protests organized by the Albanian opposition, facing the violence by the anarchist segments, especially on September 14, 1998, after the funerals of the deputy Azem Hajdari, killed by the communists. In that day, not only Jozef, but even women and children have been beaten with barbarity, their lives were threatened, and were marked to be eliminated. This republican has been living hidden for a long time, but our goal goes beyond that. The question is either this state is unable to set the order and catch the criminals, or it is the state itself stimulating such inhuman acts?

Sokol Pepushaj

Laç of Milot: The policeman of the special forces, forced to leave Albania

His name is Valentin Mura and was born on May 26, 1969, in Sanxhak, a village near Laç. He studied firstly at the elementary school “Nikoll Doçi”, and then followed the high school in Laç in 1984-1988. After that, he studied for two years in the anticrime branch, in 1988-1990. He was then working as a police officer in Laç, working as a plainclothes policeman for the anticrime. He participated in many actions that ended successfully. By the end of 1996 and the beginning of 1997, criminality was raising. On February 3, 1997 he had information about a trafficking net that was smuggling drugs along with clandestine people. As soon as he had this information, he went with his colleague Arben Noka, to stop it. They had success and the authors of this crime were arrested. Three weeks later, the criminals were set free for missing evidence. Could it be any greater evidence but the 12 kg of cocaine? The following events were the consequences of that. On March 25, 1997, at about 2 o’clock p.m., Valentine’s house was blown up. This was also evidenced by the videotapes registered and broadcasted by some of the Albanian TV-s, and he has a copy of those tapes, broadcasted on august 2003. Ten days after this incident, on April 4, 1997, three people with guns tried to kill him. He replied, so shots followed until the police came. Lastly he decided to report this to his chiefs and even to the Minister, where he was warned, as a reply, to be fired, because he had not respected the law in stopping those people. He didn’t know what to do, either to collaborate with smugglers or fight them. But he was determined to fighting them and respect the law. For security reasons, he and his family went in the village Zerqan of Dibra. On May 2003, a scandal occurred in the high school of Mamurras, where three people with guns had forced the school and raped to girls, while another one died jumping from the third floor window to flee from them. As the local police was unable, or didn’t want to catch them, the specials were asked for help. Valentin participated in this action leading a group of 9 people. After many efforts and great danger, they could catch and send them to the following organs. After the report he did on the arrest of those people, he had contradictions with his chiefs, as they didn’t accept his report, for they wanted him to hide the particulars written in there. One of them menaced him openly reminding him of the explosion at his house on March 1997, performed by some criminals or…! Besides the menace, he decided to send his report to the prosecutors unchanged, though not signed by his chiefs. A few days later he found an anonymous envelope in his office. Paulin Mura opened it carefully and found in there a letter where there were drawn to coffins with the names of his two sons written on. He decided to tell nobody of this and left his office took his motorbike and went home, but as soon as he left the city, he was shot from behind. He was sent at the hospital and was cured for 10 days. This happened on May 18. The next day the investigator following this case went and asked him who was who shot on him. He replied that they were those whom they arrested, while the justice sets them free as innocent. The investigator warned him to stop speaking like that; otherwise he would arrest him for showing no respect for authorities, and could be imprisoned.

After the TV-s broadcasted what happened on the days 22 and 23, he left with his family and went abroad, in order to save his family. His return in Albania means death for him and his family.

Zef Nika

We’ll find Gjovalin Zefaj, even if he hides underground

The Ministry of Order is firing policemen as they’re supposed to give information to the criminals. This is because the rate of banal crimes, because of the inability of the communists to govern, is being higher than that of Chicago at the beginning of the century, while the population number there is 10 times higher. One of these policemen, Pashuk Hila was fired from the police department of Vau i Dejës. But what is the reason, or better, what is this policeman considered guilty of?

On October 2000, during the local elections, Gjovalin Zefaj was in the elections’ errand. He was born on July 17, 1968 and lived in Naraç. He was by the right wing interests as he was persecuted by the communists for the simple reason that he loved the individual freedom in the United States. He didn’t allow the policemen to take forcedly the votes boxes, to be sent at the police department, where could be counted in favor of the communists. Gjovalin Zefaj takes the boxes from the hands of the policemen, to send them at the center of the district, but the policemen were ordered to shoot on Gjovalin Zefaj, who was wounded. After October 20, 2000, Gjovalin Zefaj has no address. Even his family, his friends and the party he was a member of, know nothing about him. The police department knows exactly he is somewhere abroad, as they want him at all costs. His only wrong is he didn’t permit forced manipulation of votes. This fact was also reported by the OSCE Office of the District, in a report on elections.

“We’ll find Gjovalin Zefaj, even if he hides underground”, were the words of the chief of the police. This was reported to the family of Gjovalin Zefaj by the police Pashuk Hila, and this is the reason he is fired.

The person, for whom the votes were being gathered by the police, lives at the same village of Gjovalin Zefaj. He is considered to be in enmity with Gjovalin and is waiting to avenge as he didn’t let him steal the votes. Gjovalin Zefaj, is thus in the midst of two fires. The police wants him and his enemy wants him as well, though he has no guilt.

Dashamir Cacaj

The Albanians’ life in danger

The fear and unsafe life makes even the dependents of the state, who serve it, to leave their work, the family and the country. One of them is Mr. Gjergj N. Guri from Qerret of the municipality of Temal in Shkodra, former inspector of the police in Temal. He worked there for two and a half years, since January 2001, until he was forced to leave, for security motives in April 2003. He worked in a very problematic area, known for murders (revenges), smuggling and trafficking (prostitution) as well as cultivating narcotic plants. He met these dangerous phenomenons since the beginning of his work, but he fought them in a very professional and courageous way. Because of his work and determination, these phenomenons were lowered. As the criminals had no way out to follow their activity, and started to pressure on Gjergj in their criminal ways. Threats were very often, with phone calls, or anonymous letters. The subject was always the same, that he and his family would be killed. As Gjergj was feeling stressed and unsafe, left Albania, in order to save his life and his family. Even after his depart from Albania, the criminals keeps on threatening his family in Albania, with the same methods, so they too were forced to leave Albania and go abroad for a safer life. The other members of the family (Gjergji’s brother), still living in Albania, have no courage to tell even the state where Gjergji is, as they fear that the criminals might find him even there. This is the bad luck of many innocent people in Albania, while the pressure is highly growing these last days.

Zef Nika

Will blood feud ever end in Albania?

It is very hard to leave in a country where the state is inexistent; where the crime is every day taking away innocent lives; where hundreds of children have left school and hundreds of families live shut in; where hundreds of wives have lost their husbands.

This is my report, as a mother, for the newspaper. My name is Armanda Kadija. Though young, I’m suffering, along with my 6-years old daughter, the consequences of the missing state in Albania. Since December 25, 2000, my husband, Gilman Kadija, is suffering living shut in because of a conflict for property motives. His cousin, Fahri Kadija, has wounded during a quarrel, the citizen Zamir Ramiz Rama. The family Rama tried to avenge not only on my husband, but even on us as women.

On March 13, 2001, two masked people with guns, stopped me and tried to put me forcedly in a car. I am sure those people were from the family we are in conflict with. Thanks God and the help of a couple I escaped from their hands. I didn’t report this to the police as I feared revenge would increase against us. My husband, Gilman Kadija, was not the author of the crime. He is being condemned by the family Rama, just because he was very near by the incident and because he is the cousin of the person who wounded Zamir Rama.

I appeal to the Albanian state and its’ order and justice departments, to give shelter to my family. We asked for help even to the Missionaries of Peace of Albania since August 2002. I also ask you, as an independent journal, to help us making known our problems to the opinion.

Armanda Kadija

The troubles of Pjetër Lleshi

The 48-years old Pjetër Frrok Lleshi, since 1997 has chosen to leave Albania, as his only way to save his life. This is what is happening to many other Albanians. In the beginning of the democratic processes, Pjetër Lleshi was at the head of the organizers to open the church. On December 13, 1990, he was at the throwing down of the bust of Enver Hoxha, as he did on January 14, 1990, with that of Stalin, again in Shkodra. He was there also on April 2, 1991, the day of the protests in Shkodra for the stolen votes, when four people were killed and other 163 wounded. He helped on delivering illegally, until 1993, the “Rilindja Demokratike” journal in Shkodra and around. The communists had him on target, so in 1995 he is forced to go in Greece, and comes back in Albania, to leave again on 1997, toward the Occidental countries, as his life was seriously in danger.

Zog Hysenaj

Who is managing crime?

This is a question that we, as journalists, are continuously considering, despite the pressures and death threats we often receive. The questions accusing the structures of the state are really dangerous, as Albania is the country where the crime is steady and the law is only on the letter, where the medieval Canon is very powerful and the same structures of this state give ground to the crime. Our investigations report that on April 22, 2002, on the road of Balldren in Lezha, masked persons with guns have shot on Vasil and Tonin Shkëmbi, while they’re going back home with their vehicle. God and the good luck helped them to come out unwounded, while the vehicle was damaged. The family Shkëmbi reported this to the police, but evidently there wasn’t much interest on finding out and arresting the authors by the police. In most of cases the police don’t arrest the criminals. It seems like the police is only able to catch the victims. On reliable sources we have, Vasil and Tonin Shkëmbi have been shot for revenge by another family, for the family Shkëmbi had committed a murder years ago. The reliable sources we have, say that the family Shkëmbi was in enmity since years ago. Today, even the explosion at the house of the candidate for mayor of Shkodra, Mustafë Lici, is being overseen, just like the case of Vasil and Tonin Shkëmbi. The criminals are not being cought. The problem, yet is somewhat deeper, as we have the right to ask who is managing the crime? As the state is not finding the way to establish the authority of the law, the responsibility is obviously on it.

Denisa Kraja

The plagues of revenge

It is terrible when you think that today in the 21^st century the Albanians in general and the North Albania in particular is still hostage to one of the most bleeding plagues, causing a lot of clean Albanian blood to be shed by the Albanians. The “law” supporting this plague is over five centuries old and has the name of Canon. The foreign peoples do not even know this name, as they have their state of law that puts on order every social problem. We too have a state, which has only the name of it, for instead of helping the healing of this wound, it only messes everything up… There are many cases of families, hostages of primitive revenge. Our journal wants this time to tell about one of the innocent Albanian families undergoing the revenge according to the Canon, blood feud. This is the family of Mark Fran Marku. This all happens because the laws in Albania are unable to face the “law” of revenge. Behold how an unwanted incident can be turned on a Calvary of revenge. Murders, wounding, murder attempts are almost common in the daily life of the Northeastern area of Albania. As we mentioned above, this same bad luck was on Mark Fran Marku form Ivanaj of Bajza in Malësi e Madhe. This family is now a victim of blind revenge as a result of an unwanted incident that Fran Marku, the father of Mark in Ivanaj of Bajza, stroke with his car, causing the death of the child Arben Gjoka Kastrati. This happened on August 28, 2001. By this painful and innocent incident of the family Marku, the life of this family was being destroyed, as the family of Gjoka Kastrati (the family of the dead child), according to the laws of the Canon for the blood feud, decided to avenge. This revenge wants victims from the family Marku, trying to kill any of them. During this period the family of Gjoka Kastrati has shot several times on the house of the family Marku, were they supposed they were living shut in. It is worth to mention two cases when the family Gjoka Kastrati has shot numerous bullets against this house. When the avenger noticed that the family Marku had abandoned their house, they destroyed it totally.

We, as journalists, have many times tried to meet the two families, but the family of Gjoka Kastrati does not want to, as they say they have to take revenge for the young child, while from the family Marku there is none in Albania. Mark Fran Marku has left Albania, along with his family, since December 25, 2001, because of blood feud. Since that day, there is no evidence of this poor family, either they’re alive somewhere hidden around the world. It is clear, that the state knows this horrible thing of revenge and keeps silent, or even “smiles”, leaving free way to the barbaric “law” of blood feud. It is so painful that Mark Fran Marku, fifty years old (born on January 31, 1953), instead of living his life in his country, with his family, has to depart, just to save his life in serious danger from the unmerciful avenger…

Ndue Bacaj

Serious situation in Kosovo

It is historically known that the situation between the ethnics, especially that between Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo is really serious. These two peoples consider each other enemies. Such a situation is unfortunately still today, getting even harder, mostly after the war in Kosovo, what is not the need to write of. Many events are known, but what impress the most are the heavy consequences it left back, even today, with enmity even amongst Albanians. The situation of security, despite the presence of the international forces, is still hopeless. Peja is one of those places where Kosovars and Serbs live together. This is even the destiny of Zora Kurtulaj, or Serb origin, from Peja, married to an Albanian from Peja. During the last war, the Albanians and the KLA in particular had doubts on Zora as a collaborator of the Serb police and army. The KLA found an appropriate moment to take revenge on Zora, beating and using violence on her, also looting her house. This was not only on Zora but also on her daughter Edmonda Smajlaj, as she was at home in that moment. She was taken away and kept as a hostage for some time. In these hard conditions of life in Peja, Zora leaves Kosovo and goes in Montenegro. In the beginning of 2003, she goes back to Kosovo, to leave where she used to, but it was in vane, as she found herself again threatened, again by the forces of KLA, forcing her to leave Kosovo again and go back to Montenegro. This is the bad luck of this mother and her daughter, forced to leave Kosovo. This is just to save their lives, as every other attempt to turn back to Kosovo is impossible for KLA is looking not only for Zora, but many others, to avenge, no matter if they are Albanian or Serbs. The revenge goes on.

Vasel Gilaj

Why did the major of the Secret Service leave?

His name is Gëzim Ndrecaj, born on March 26, 1960. He graduated at the Faculty of the IAM (Internal Affairs Ministry) (the branch of Security) in 1983. That same year he was named officer in the District of Dibra and his carrier went on until he became vice chief of the Secret Services for Dibra in the rank of major. On July 9, 1992 he was fired by the point 24/1 of the law. He was back on his work after the Socialist Party won on December 1997, again in the Secret Services, in the sector of clandestine. He worked firstly in the area of Montenegro, in coverage of an ambulant merchant.

On December 1998, until June 1999, the chiefs of SIS have introduced him to the chief of CIA in Albania, Vilma and the vice, Daniel, for whom he did many important services. For over three months, during 1999, he worked for the American secret service. SIS and CIA have estimate his work and have once rewarded him with 100 000 Leks. During 1999-2000, Gëzim obtained important evidence on espionage and counterespionage, giving report of many people who were implied in Greek and Serb-Greek secret services, mostly politicians and even people of Albanian diplomacy working for those services. All that evidence can be found in a special folder encoded SH-XX0, in the archives of SIS. The two anonymous numbers are lower than ten and the third is zero. In 2002, Gëzim had threatening anonymous phone calls, addressed to him and his family. This occurred mostly after the firing of the former chief of the SIS, Fatos Klosi, when the secret documents were misused by inner dependents of SIS. On July 2002, Gëzim was called by principals of SIS, to declare as if he was two times rewarded by this institution in very large amounts of money. Besides this, Gëzim was also threatened by people implied in Serb-Greek services, who could read the secret documents of SIS. One of the most important evidences Gëzim gave to SIS, was the meeting in Greece of the principal of the Greek, Serb and Montenegro’s secret service, with some politicians, to find out the way to disestablish the country and grow their influences in Albania in 1997. This is why the major of the security (SIS), Gëzim Ndrecaj, couldn’t stay anymore in Albania. His only safe way was to emigrate. This is also the motive he cannot come back in his birthplace, because he knew and spoke more than he had to.

Rifat Ymeri

A heavy burden for Klelia Hysaj

Many Albanian women and girls have been separated for ever from their relatives, their country, and their common life. The burden on the victims is as heavy and inhuman to cause a great pain only writing for them. On February 2, 1999, on the target of the robbers was Klelia Hysaj. Along with her two friends Belma Deda and Saida Laca, she was going at the University “Luigj Gurakuqi” of Shkodra. The happening is terrible, so it needs no more details. The cause seems to be the anticommunist behavior of the parents of Klelia Hysaj. Her parents, Valter and Valdet Hysaj, were activists since the beginning of the democratic movements in 1989-1991, and after. Lulzim Hysaj, Kleila’s uncle, activist of the DemocraticParty, as a former political prisoner, participated in the protests of 1990 and along with his wife Fitnet Hysaj, aspired for an Albania without dictatorship, with human freedom and rights, with an economy of trade. They never stopped in these attempts, but attempts like these have a heavy burden. Even in these days of local elections’ campaign (the elections of October 12, 2003), many anticommunists are suffering various cruelties that show the true face of crime, which is this state of injustice, political discrimination and medieval dictatorship. The robbers and criminals are free.

Zojë Berisha