Editor: Hajdin ABAZI

Reviewer: Faik MUSTAFA

                Hajri SHAQIRI

Lector: Murtezan ARIFI

Translator: Aviola Breshani

Technical editor: Burim Murtezani

Technical editor: Arian Leka

Shaip EMËRLLAHU

Ahmet SELMANI

Salajdin SALIHU

International Literary Manifestation “Ditë e Naimit”

Tetova 1999

The war of Kosovo (1998-1999), which was characterized by a planned Serb genocide and ethnic cleansing, notes the peak of the human madness. Its cruelty was realized through the biblical expatriation of Albanian population from their lands, by the use of all kinds of violence, the massacre of children, old people, women, rape of women, assassinations, massive graves, houses rapine and burning, water poisoning, cattle killing, harvest and libraries burning, tear of identifying documentation and lands registers, etc.

On May 2, 1999, in Studime village, the Serb police forces and the paramilitary ones massacred the column of people who due to the genocide abandoned their homes.

We abandoned our homes due to the savage campaign undertaken from the Serb police forces and the paramilitaries ones. We were in the long line of Albanian refugees on a tractor and my son was driving it. We were advancing, but we didn’t know where we were going. We were all terribly scared. Our aim was to live as soon as possible to rescue from the death.

Suddenly in front of our tractor appeared some Serb policemen. They forced my son to stop the tractor.

“Give us one thousand marks (German currency)” – they said.

My son had no way. To rescue our lives he took out the money and gave them as much as they wanted. This happened on Sunday, between nine and ten o’clock. We were somewhere between “Studime e Epërme” and “Studime e Ulët” villages. We all thought that we saved from the worse. My son started again the tractor. After 30 meters, appeared the same policeman who took first the money. Again he asked us to stop the tractor.

“Give me one thousand marks again” - they said to my son.

They ordered us to get down. The first got down Kadri and after him was Shaban. Right away they got down, the policemen killed them. After, got down Nuhi and Fahri. Sejdi remained on the tractor... These all were assassinated in front of us. The policemen were masked and dressed with various uniforms... They committed a crime to my family, killing the most beloved for us.

They were innocents. Simply, they killed them because they were Albanians, just for this.

We were unarmed.

We were around 40 thousand people in that caravan of refugees. All were escaping from the Serb attacks.

When we arrived in “Studime e Epërme” village the

Serbs stopped us all. Once they used to order us to sit down, once to depart. Suddenly, in a moment, appeared from the hill a group of people who directed the barrels of their machine guns and fired a volley of shots toward us. Then they set the fire in “Studime e Epërme” village. After that, they asked one thousand marks and my son gave them again as much as they asked. Later, they asked again money and he gave them 500 marks, too. Nevertheless they killed five members of our family. I found my brother and my son down at the river, both assassinated.

We placed them near the street. We were looking for a killed person, member of my family, but we couldn’t find him. The Serbs throw him in the river and we didn’t see him.

Looking for the cadavers of my family, I saw 10 cadavers thrown in the river and along the way. I don’t know who and from where were those people.

Meanwhile came some furious paramilitaries. “What are you waiting for? Quick, set off”- they shouted as crazies.

We had no way. We were forced to live there in the street our killed sons and to depart in the direction they wanted. They brought us all in a farm. There we stayed all the night. Somebody slept on the tractor, somebody.... The next day, at 10 o’clock, they turned us away ordering to live for Albania.

There is nothing more painful than living in the street, unburied, the cadavers of your family’ members.

From my family were killed: Kadri, my son, 41 years old, who left two children; Sejdi, 30 years old, student in the fourth year of the Faculty of Stomatology; Fahri, my brother’s son. That night, from 10 males of my family, 5 were killed. With me was my wife, pregnant.... The Serb paramilitary came again to ask money. They ordered some of us to get down from the tractor. A paramilitary pulls off a knife and directed it to the Hasan’s wife, touching her by it in the abdomen. They offended us furiously. One of them said: “You all are UÇK and you love NATO”.

When they took away our sons, the ladies started to shout, saying that we are neither UÇK, nor NATO.

All the paramilitaries were speaking Albanian. They were from our village. They killed them because they knew them. My son worked here in “Democratic League of

Kosovo”. He used to gather money contributions in villages. They knew him well. That’s why they killed him.

From our family were killed: Kadri Gërxhaliu, Shaban Gërxhaliu, Nuhi Gërxhaliu, Sejdi Gërxhaliu and Fahri Gërxhaliu. From the Gërxhaliu Family were killed many others as: Zejnullah Gërxhaliu, Fatmir Gërxhaliu, Haki Gërxhaliu, Xhevdet Gërxhaliu, Nexhip Gërxhaliu, Hajrullah Gërxhaliu, Avdyl Gërxhaliu, Ymer Gërxhaliu, Skënder Gërxhaliu and Sherif Sfarça.

While we were driving our tractor, appeared in front of us some masked Serb policemen. Threatening us, they asked money. After, they did whatever wanted, they ordered my husband, Shaban, to get down.

“Where do you work?” - they asked him “In ‘Llamarinë’” - he answered.

They didn’t talk anymore. Right away they shot him throwing him down. After, they got from the tractor my son, Nuhi.

“You take part in UÇK’ - said to him “No, my son doesn’t take part in UÇK” - I replayed “Yes, he does” - he insisted.

Nevertheless I tried with all my strengths, jostling one of them to protect my son, he fired the gun and killed him. Even today, if I see the face of that Serb, I can recognize him. Yes, I’m sure who was he.

He knew Albanian language very well. May be he knew my son before. I’m sure he knew Shaban also.... He used to provoke my husband while he was working.

Continuously he asked food coupons from my husband.

Shaban used to tell him:” “Take the approval from the directory and I’ll give to you immediately” One day he told to Shaban: ”Only one of us should stay here”. Next day he looked for him in the farm and asked our neighbor: “Shaban is assassinated together with one of his sons or with both of them, isn’t he?”

My neighbor answered that he knew nothing about. We know that the assassination was committed by Bel Gerguri, whose mother is Serb, and by Nikola Dimiq who was functionary in the commune of Vushtrri. This is what happened. They used to select the people. Not by chance they stooped us and after getting them down the tractor they killed them immediately. They killed them in my face. They killed some other members of our family also. They killed Kadri, Hasan’s son. We couldn’t recognize him because the bullets damaged his face. Also they killed Fahri in the same place. Sejdi escaped from the tractor, but the bullets caught him on his back. Then the paramilitaries throw them in the river. With my hands and the help of my aunt’s son pulled them out the river. One night we slept here in the farm and the next day they turned us out to Albania. I don’t want to forget something. While we were living together in that long column of people, the gypsies used to stay beside the road smirking and sharpening their big knifes in our faces. They furnished the Serbs with liquids as much as they could. While keeping their knifes in hands, they used to say: “we are specialized, don’t be afraid from us”.

All the daylong the thirsty children cried for water, but Serbs were selling one liter by ten marks.

The Serb paramilitary forces and the policemen came and took all the Nexhbedin Gërxhalliu’s family composed by 12 members, threatening them furiously by the barrels of automatic guns and getting them in a room and killing all. They left alive only the father, in order to see how they were killing the others. At the end, after seeing all those nightmares they took the father with his eldest son, together with one of his cousins and sent them somewhere in the middle of the village and killed them.

In this massacre took part 7 Serb policemen. In a barbarous manner they killed a whole family. Was saved only Nexhbedin, who was in Germany. In this family are killed: Zejnullah Gërxhaliu, Fatmir Gërxhaliu, Haki Gërxhaliu, Xhevdet Gërxhaliu, Nexhip Gërxhaliu, Hajrullah Gërxhaliu, Avdyl Gërxhaliu, Ymer Gërxhaliu, Skënder Gërxhaliu, Sherif Sfarça and Avdyl Gërxhaliu.

So, was eliminated almost all their family.

The massacre in Qirez Village happened on April 30, 1999. Although it was accomplished in hidden, some people who witnessed this crime, remained alive. One

of them is Avdyl Ymeri, from Qirez Village.

- In Drenica, especially in Qirez, the situation was grave. There were many concentrated Serb police forces, which were waiting the command to attack any house, kill and massacre the Albanian population.

Almost all the people were expecting the worse to happen, because the Serb policy forces were provoking with all mains... We were afraid of any possible massacre. For a long time I was observing the Serb policemen movements, while they were placing their positions in strategic places, showing clearly that soon or later they were going to undertake a campaign against the native population. Soon happened what should not be happened. The Serbs rushed with all the arms and means possessed and hit us. From this underwent a lot of families, young’s, etc.

I can witness for this massacre which I observed from a very short distance, from the place where I was in hidden with some friends.

On April 30, 1999, the Serb forces, which were concentrated mainly in Sherif’s house in Qirez Village, departed with a tank in direction of “Lagjja e Rripave” area of Baks Village. The infantry was walking toward the farm fields and the Baks’s mountains. A group of people dressed in black got down from the track and started to walk before the tank.

The infantry left the “Lagjja e Rripave” neighborhood and walked toward “Lagjja Shaqiraj” neighborhood. From there they were transferred in “Lagjja e Ulët” neighborhood. All there movements and shifts were done with a determined aim: to accomplish what they planned. So, for all the day long they surrounded heavily the area from the place called Doshvec of Baks’s Mountains in Baks, up to Verbofc and at the “Pines of Gllobar”. Inside this iron circle were 4000 -5000 civilians. Around 17.30 o’clock, with my eyes I saw the tank going toward the high mountain of Shtutica. The Serbs captured a group of hidden civilians in a ditch. Were around 40 persons. The Serbs put them in front of the tank and brought them in Shtutica, at the place called “Livadhet e Bresheve”. After I heard how they were offending and beating them. They told them: “give over the arms, you are UÇK....”

As today I remember: After offending and beating, they started to undress them. After they took them and sent toward the Baks’s Mountain near Azem’s house. Then, immediately are heard uninterrupted volleys of automatic guns. In one group were around 24 persons.

The police knew they were civilians. They shot by automatic gun volleys. So, that day, in that place were killed 17 civilians, mainly young’s.

I was in the mountain, from where I was observing everything. In airline, the distance is less then 100 meters. Some were praying not to be killed, as they were just civilians and didn’t do anything. After this they interrupted the massacre.

They stooped the volleys, but took with them five persons. One of them was wounded. They put them forward the tank as armor and brought them in Qirez’Mosque, where were 176 other persons, also. This is called the Massacre of “Malet e Gropes”, because of the place where it was accomplished.

They left there the cadavers.

We went in the night to help any wounded saved. We came near and saw that two of them were alive. There was an armed Serb. They didn’t talk at all, because were conscient that he could kill them. We didn’t dare to come closer. We were forced to wait till next day.

We went there again early in the morning and found them both half-dead. We were a group of 10-12 persons and with us were my brother and some cousins. When we saw that there was no one, we came closer and gave them the first aid within our possibilities.

We dragged both wounded men, intending to send them somewhere for medical cure. But didn’t happen like that. Unfortunately, before the night, they passed away.

I remember one of them, a boy of 12-13 years old, whose name I don’t know.  Before dying he told us that in this massacre were killed his brother and his father also. I remember the other boy, whose name was Blerim. While we were dragging him away from the other cadavers, he told us that there were killed his two brothers.

This is what remained in my memory from that day, when was committed that massacre of those innocent people.

A killing campaign occurred in the Likoshan village, where the Serb military forces, masked or not, killed and massacred a lot of people. The massacre occurred on February 28, 1998 to the family of Sheremet Sejdiu, Sefer Nebhiu and Ahmet Ahmetaj.

On February 28, 1998 the Serb police forces and the paramilitary ones, attacked the Likoshan village to accomplish what they planned. I was there when was massacred the all family of Ahmet (24 members). That day together with Ahmet’ sons we planned in advance to repair the school’s yard. Around 11.15 o’clock, while I was waiting Ahmet’ sons, suddenly came a car with some members of UÇK. After five minutes came the Serb police who rushed toward the place called “Gjashtë Rrepet”.

The UÇK members stooped at the “Gjashtë Rrepet” and started the fire toward the Serb policemen, who attacked our village. Right away we saw this confrontation, together with Sami I run toward our houses which are very near each other, but the police saw us and without hesitation started shooting toward us. We run away.

After a while we passed in the opposite side of the brook, where we meet Ilir, the son of Sefer Nebi, who came there to see what was happening. After five minutes came Xhemshir, Ilir’s brother, who told him that their father was looking for him.

Soon, while we where in meadows we saw a unit, which was trying to help the UÇK’ members, but we didn’t know them. While we turned back we saw how they fired the second car of Serb police, “Niva” brand.

After 10 or 15 minutes a helicopter came from Gradica.... When we saw it, immediately we were hidden inside a pit. The helicopter passed over us and went away. We went out of the pit and running very fast, we went to seek refuge in the basement of Sheremet Sejdi’s house. We were four persons. When we entered in the basement we found the twin sons of Sheremet, Bedri and Nazmi. We set down there following everything happening in Likoshan.

After a while, the helicopter came over again. We didn’t know that many Serb police forces and cars surrounded us. (This happened around 12.30). I remember very well that the weather was nice and the sun shining.

Beqir came crying saying that his uncle Rexhep was killed. We expressed him our consolation. Then he told us how was killed his uncle. He explained us how to use the bomb. He had an automatic gun and a cartridge clip. He was the only one armed. A son of my uncle stayed at the basement’s door. We heard a noise outside. It was the police, which already surrounded us. They shouted us to come out and to give up.

Sami went out, and when understood how was going everything, turned back immediately saying that the police surrounded us from all sides. Then Beqir, who had an army, told us that we could act as we wanted, but he was going to die there.

The yard was not known for us, and we didn’t know the ground. Sami came out the first; I was the second and the third Bedri, the son of Sheremet. Just we came out, a bullet shot Bedri and he was dead immediately.

This I saw with my eyes. Sami and I went running entering in cows’ stable.

We didn’t know that Beqir killed some policemen. The Serb policemen tried to enter inside basement by an armored car. The armored car came near the yard’s fence of Sheremet Sejdi’s house. We thought it was going to destroy the house. We left open the stable’s door, because we knew that somebody was going to enter. We were observing what was happening outside.

In less than 15 minutes came an armored car and a masked soldier who beat the door. He saw inside, but couldn’t distinguish anything. We were hidden in the manger near the cow’s head. We saw him, but he couldn’t see us. They started fighting with Beqir. We heard crashes in continuity and we were observing everything. In that moment I heard them calling the doctor and offending each other. They were all masked soldiers and paramilitaries. An armored car attacked the stable in the corner where we were placed. First time it was not damaged, but when the armored car attacked for the second time, the wall was completely destroyed. We hid ourselves behind the door to be protected from the several attacks. The armored car was damaged and stopped. We understood this from their words. I was hearing them talking and understood what they were saying.

They were forced to live there the armored car and went in the upper floor of the house. At the armored car remained only a policeman who was insulting continuously his colleges, calling them to come. Of course he was very afraid. None of the soldiers wanted to enter in the yard; all were captured by the panic.

The policeman was insulting furiously asking them to enter the yard, but the soldiers refused.

In that moments they brought out the house both sons of Sheremet Sejdiu, Beqir and Bekim. We heard the ladies and children’s screams and their mother praying God for not taking her sons. After 2-3 minutes they executed them in front of her. So, four sons of Sheremet Sejdiu were executed. In this campaign were assassinated: Beqir Sejdiu, Nazmi Sejdiu, Bedri Sejdiu and Bekim Sejdiu.

After accomplishing what they wanted, they tried to pull off the damaged armored car by another one, but no result. So they brought a car from a place called “Lugu i Hoxhës”.

That was a real massacre for Sejdi’s family. With my hands I gathered their cadavers. The cadaver of Beqir was very damaged. The bullets can not damage in that way. It was damaged by something else. He couldn’t be recognized. I filmed their cadavers. The policemen were retired. So did the UÇK members in Qirez when the night came. Anyhow, we continued staying in our village.

I can witness for the massacre of Nebiu Family. Xhemshir and Ilir were with me. I filmed Ilir by camera. He was so damaged to be recognized. I don’t know if he was burned by a cigarette or by something else. Ismail Berhani from Baks village had the eyes torn off. Ilir, the husband of Ruhie, was also killed.

The Serbs captured him wounded or alive. He was burned. I don’t think it was done by cigarette, maybe by any hot iron bar. He was damaged in body and face.

Ilir was with me, but when the police surrounded us, he tried to draw back from his neighborhood and at that time they captured him alive or wounded. As for Xhemshir, they captured him in his house, at the fireplace. That night when the UÇK’ members attacked, the police was drawing back. I understood when they ordered each other: “krenemo avamo, ovamo, idemo nazad” (Turn this way, this way, we are turning back!).

We waited till 11 o’clock in the night, staying in the same place. That boy told me to go out. We knew we’re surrounded. Around 11 o’clock somebody came and called “Sheremet!”. He was Sabit, the son of Hasan Ali. He said: “Here you are in safe”. He asked about what happened. We told him that we heard just noises and we don’t know anything else.

When we went at Sejdiu Family we meet their mother.

She was seating in one of the rooms. There were no noises. She learned from us about her four killed sons.

They started crying and screaming. Serbs called us to gather the cadavers. Even I had peins in my leg, because one of skumb’s rafters fall down during the attack of armored car, I answered to their request. We found the twin brothers and entered them inside the room. When we entered in the basement of the new house, we found the two other brothers of the same family.

We didn’t know what happened to our families. We went to see if our people were alive or dead. When we arrived behind our houses, I knocked on the window.

There were neither voices, nor movements. We didn’t know that the policemen were placed all round our houses. We thought they slaughtered all our family members.

I called my wife, children, but no answer. The son of my uncle called them shouting. He didn’t know that the policemen were at the gates of our houses. When we entered inside, my mother told us to live as soon as possible, because the policemen were at the yard’s gates. Just we went out, the policemen put on the car headlights. Then we left and went in a safe place.

This is what I know about Ahmeti Family: There were in the house ten family’s members and a guest. I’m sure they were not assassinated by bullets, but massacred one by one. It’s known even the place where happened this massacre. We saw the massacre consequences: broken teeth, peaces of head’s bones, bones... I filmed by a video camera all the cadavers, while they brought them by a track in their house’ yard. All the cadavers were clean and I didn’t see blood traces in their bodies. They were massacred. To Driton was missing a part of the jawbone and the nose. All the head’s bones were extracted. All of them were beaten by a stone, which we found at the massacre’s place, near the fence. When we found the stone and the blood at the bush, we noticed that there was committed the crime. There were found the blood traces, somebody’s hair, somebody’s watch, somebody’s teeth, somebody’s bone, somebody’s socks...  The head and the chest of Ahmet Ahmeti were destroyed completely. A part of the face of Gani Ahmeti was destroyed. They took off one part of the head of Ilmi and the eye. Ilmi was graduated as financier and for some years, he was the chief of the district. Also Hamze Ahmeti was massacred, he was dead. Driton, who was a very good sportsman, had the jawbone broken, the teeth and the chin, also. Naim Ahmeti, Basri, Elham and Shemsi, were damaged on head, also. The last three persons were students of high school.

It was not the aim of Serbs invaders to vanish the dangerous rivals, because this family was unarmed.

Simply, they assassinated them because they were educated and progressive. Anyone of them could be the district chief, the head of state. This is the reason why they massacred them.

I don’t think Serbs knew some paths. Somebody of this area told them the way. I cannot tell concrete names, because I didn’t see them myself. They took them while they were eating around the table. This kind of massacre is unimaginable, but an extremely tragic truth.

These massacres are accomplished by the Serb paramilitaries. They were masked and used drugs. After taking drugs they used to commit unimaginable massacres. For this witnesses the fact that in my house’ yard I found two packages of syringes.

I can witness for many other incidents. I know that case when the Serb police and paramilitary forces, massacred from the crowd of people, in their way from Çiçavica to Likoshan, around 70 - 80 people. They didn’t care if they were old or young. Everybody captured was dead.  My father, Hasan Syla, 63 years old, was captured and killed. After four days they killed my uncle also, Haxhi Smajli.

My father was in Krasmirovc, with the ladies and children. There was undertaken a very fast offensive and all the persons, women and man, were surrounded and they couldn’t escape. From this group the Serbs separated six persons and massacred them one by one.

They fired hundred of bullets on the back of each one, in front of their families. One of the massacred persons was my father. In the same place, in the middle of women’s crowd, they killed a lady. She was the daughter of Sokol Bunjaku. After four days, in

Grana Selle village, they killed 67 people, all aged persons.

In this village, they hit a bad blow to Krasniqi Family, which lost a lot of its members. I don’t know the exact number, but they killed many persons from this family. Only in a neighbourhood of their village there are 20 killed persons. The Serbs ordered them to depart for Gllovec. When they set off, they separated the males from the women and children, and fired them.

This was committed by the masked paramilitaries. We saw this incident from distance.

One of the nearest witnesses of this massacre is a boy hidden under the house’s roof, whose name is Mevledin Neziri.

That day when occurred the massacre of Ahmetaj Family, I was there by chance. I saw with my eyes when the policemen arrived at Ahmetaj Family. They put out the males and started to beat them in a cruel way. At the beginning they beat and left them in front of their house. Meanwhile a group of policemen went in the direction of Sejdi Family house and attacked it, killing and destroying. Then they turned back and

began to beat the members of Ahmeti Family one by one.

They beat them in the cruelest way till they lost the conscience. After this they accomplished the worst thing: massacring them one by one. Finally they shot each one by a bullet.

I was hearing, hidden under the roof of neighbor’s house. The police entered in the house where I was hidden, but they didn’t find me. From the roof I heard everything.

While they were killing them one by one, I heard terrible voices. At least they left alive only one.

All this started around 15.30 o’clock and continued till the morning. They killed them one by one, in order that the people to see each other and to be extremely scared. In that place were many policemen with tanks, armored cars, etc.

From the place I was hidden, under the house’s roof, time by time, carefully, I observed what was happening outside. It was clear what was going to happen if they detected me.

So, I was hearing more than seeing. I didn’t dare to move. I remember very well that I heard terrible voices, when the policemen started to beat them one by one. Somebody was saying “oh, my mother!”, somebody else “oh, my father!”, etc.

I couldn’t see what they were using to massacre them, but I know that after that bestiality and massacre, at least they fired them by bullets. As I said, they left alive only one person till the morning, beating him in continuity. I don’t know exactly who was he, but he was aged. They kept him alive to see that terrible show, but when they accomplished everything they intended to kill him early morning. It was not a terrorist family, as the Serbs used to call them, but it was an educated and wellknown family in all this area. Just for this reason they massacred them. To tell the truth, they killed them by knifes, fence stakes and various other means. In that place we found brain, teeth, pieces of bones, cut fingers....

All this was accomplished in front of their house. There it is the stone by which they killed them in bestial way. I remained for a long time under the roof without talking. I moved from there after 28 hours.

After the massacre, they took the cadavers to send somewhere, surely in the morgue. But the policemen remained there till next day (till 14.30 o’clock).

With me was a friend of mine, Ilir Gjeli. I don’t know where he is now and nobody knows about his destiny.

When they brought the cadavers, I saw them, as I perceived the incident one night before. All were massacred. Driton Ahmeti didn’t have the jawbone. Ilmi Ahmeti was massacred in face by knife. To tell the truth, all were destroyed in face and body and I

didn’t dare to see them. I couldn’t affront that terrible view.

After the beat, I thought the Serbs sent them in Gllogovc. But when they turned from the attacks in Qirez, they started to beat them one by one and I understood that they were massacring them because their screams were lifted up to the sky. They shrieked “Oh, my father”, “Oh, my mother”, “Oh, he is cutting me by knife” and various terrible shrieks. But was impossible to help them. We just heard under the roof eating our hearts out. I don’t know the Serb language, but the Serbs were screaming and offending. But when they used to ask for arms, they talked in Albanian.

I am not sure how many policemen accomplished this massacre, but they were at least 30 policemen.

They brought outdoors the males and entered the females in the yard keeping them there. From this family are massacred these persons: Ahmet Ahmeti (50 years old), Gani Ahmeti (47 years old), Ilmi Ahmeti (44 years old), Hamzë Ahmeti (44 years old), Driton Ahmeti (23 years old), Naim Ahmeti (21 years old), Lumni Ahmeti and Basri Ahmeti (19 years old, twin), Shemsi Ahmeti (17 years old), Elhami Ahmeti (15 years old) and Berham Fazliu (60 years old, guest from Gradica).

The police and other forces came in our village to undertake a campaign. They surrounded all the area. In that moment, I saw a helicopter flying over my house.

It came around twice. Maybe was checking the area based on the given information beforehand. First time it came around and didn’t do anything, but for the second time it was concentrated over my house and I heard these words: “the first house, left!”

After a while, the tanks rushed in the direction that the person from the helicopter was indicating.

Understanding that something was happening, I tried to encourage myself. I told the members of my family not to be afraid and to go down in the basement. In the room was my wife, Rukia, seating beside the stove.

Suddenly an armored car of the police rushed and pulled down the yard’s gates and came near the window of the room where we were seating. So, I dared and went out.

“Who are you?” - They asked furiously “I’m Sefer Nehbiu. Take it easy, you are freighting my family” - I told them They insulted me by dirty words and rushed toward me furiously. Then directed the automatic gun and fired me by four bullets. When my wife, Rukia, saw that crazy act and my blood shedding, she started to scream. She tighted my wound in the leg to stop the blood shedding and put her head on my lap. Then some of the policemen entered inside and didn’t wait at all. One of them fired my wife on the front. A part of her head jumped down. At that moment, she was embracing our youngest daughter, but fortunately the bullets didn’t hurt her.

Her mother was cruelly killed, but the little girl remained alive, covered by her mother’s blood. The bullets fired over us, killed my son, also, who was seating beside the window. Then they rushed inside and caught me from my lather coat throwing me outside.

Only my son was in house. They told me to put him out.

But I prayed to let us alone, they killed enough. One of them standing on the right accepted, but the other one on the left said: “we’ll kill him”. They caught the boy and tried to beat him on the jawbone.

They dragged me and him downstairs.

But in that moment they looked in the garage, which is placed in the other side of the house. When they saw that inside were two tractors with all the other work tools and the cars, they ordered me to lie down.

They started to disperse everything inside the garage. As they didn’t find anything, shot the tractors, cars’ glasses and doors and everything in front of them, till they destroyed everything.

Then they caught and throw me beside my brother’s son near the stack in the yard. They ordered me to accompany them at my brother’s house. (My brother is dead, and in his house remained the widow with five children). They insulted and dragged me. They stood me up and ordered me to open the door.

I was forced to obey.

In my brother’s house were hidden 23 people from our neighborhood and area, (all the people that remained outside, without home).

They ordered all the people inside to go out and to lie down in the yard.

They laiy me down on some stones placed over the mud. Meanwhile, a policeman came from the house of my cousin, Hasan, and when saw us lying down, asked his colleague to kill all. But the one who was over our heads told his college to go. Insulting us he told him that these all are woman and children. There were masked and unmasked policemen. All were speaking Serb language.

They kept us till 21 o’clock in the night. We were overstrained. I heard when was given the order for attacking the house of Sheremet Sejdiu. Without loosing time, immediately the armored cars rushed toward it.

From my family they killed my wife who was pregnant and after a short time was going to give birth to my son. Then they killed my fourth son.

Three attacks are undertaken against my family. Twice they burned to ashes my house. As I built it again, they came for the third time killing and destroying everything. They killed my wife, Rukia, who was pregnant, just a short time before the delivery, and also two of my sons.

The first massacre in Kosovo it’s accomplished to my family. I didn’t harm anyone and I’m not in debt, but they harmed me so badly.

All the orders were given from the helicopter. With them was somebody who knew the area. He was the one giving them the information. That person told them to attack my family, my house. Everything was calculated.

This is what I saw that day for which I can witness.

When the attack started, I was inside the room. When I heard the volleys of bullets, I understood that they were undertaking a terrible attack. I was seeing very well the policemen who surrounded us. After firing and killing some persons, they gathered us, 24 people, and ordered to lay down. For four hours and half we were prisoners in front of tanks and armored cars. Two policemen, who were guarding us, used to insult with the most dirty words. Then they beat me on the chest.

I was in the other house and I didn’t know who was wounded and who was killed. When the policemen left, then I turned back home and found my father wounded, the brothers and the brother’s wife killed. The daughter of Rukia, fortunately, saved. This is what I can witness for.

I observed the massacre in “Poklek i Ri” village from a distance of 500 meters. To tell the truth, we couldn’t and didn’t dare to approach because we were unarmed, while the Serb police forces were armed to the teeth. They attacked the houses and the population. They killed, burned, slaughtered and left quietly.

When the police left the village, we approached together with my uncle and some friends. We found separated pieces of human bodies, brain, ears, a lot of blood. In a basement we found some killed persons.

Later, in the house of Sahit Qorri, we found a bloody hatchet, which was left or forgotten at the doorstep.

The house was burning.

Was very difficult to reveal the crimes, because after killing, massacring, they set fire in the houses. The village was burned. From all sides there were smoke and flames.

In this massacre are vanished nine persons. No one knows what happened to them. Possibly, they are killed and massacred and then thrown in any common grave. We couldn’t find them. Between the vanished persons are Fazli Berisha, Sahit Qorri and Ardian Veliu. As for the others, I don’t know their names.

This massacre is accomplished by the special Serb Unit, which came on purpose to spread horror and fear in population, forcing them to abandon their homes.

So, this happened purposely.

To accomplish this inhuman act was put forward a pretext: a police car was coming from Komaran to Gllogovec and during the way it lost the orientation.

It’s possible that the policemen were drug.

The car was banged somewhere and moved backward.

Immediately they informed the police in Gllogovc that the “terrorists” attacked. Was sufficient this lie for police to run furiously and undertake a campaign against the innocent inhabitants.

In the suburbs of Prishtina, a long line of people escaping from the Serb artillery attacks and seeking refuge in Prishtina City, underwent from the military forces of Arkan, which were concentrated in Makovc village. They extracted from the column many people and killed and massacred them.

The cadavers of the massacred and killed Albanians are buried from the Serb police in four common graves: one in Llukare village, two in Makovc village and one in Grashticë village. During the unburying process, for the first time we saw slaughtered people. We accomplished the unburying process after two or three months, even in some places after four months.

The massacre is committed in the evening of April 18 and continued on April 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23, 1999.

This road that leads to Prishtina has been full of people. I could say that there were 250-300 thousand people, who were hungry, thirsty, bare-foot, with small children. Between them there were a lot of pregnant women... We succeeded to help them with food, but we couldn’t protect them from the massacre of the invader, who killed and rapine them. In this massacre I lost four members of my family, my brother Nexhbedin, 41 years old, who was burned by Serbs, my father, my uncle and his wife, who was burned, also.

After the finish of the war we unburied them. We ascertained how they died and reburied them.

On April 19, 1999 around 16.00 o’clock, I saw with my eyes an incident in Sharban Village of Prishtina City, when they assassinated a person who I didn’t know. The policemen put him off the car and in front of his family they executed him by an automatic gun. This happened in “Xhemal Ibishi” street, Prishtina City.

I turned back in the village for a short time. First I buried my father, and later unburied my brother to be convinced that he was my brother and not somebody else. In the village I found many traces of the massacre: shoes, clothes pierced by bullets, watches, many blood traces, etc. We found a garage full of blood, also.

When we decided to live, my father insisted not to abandon the home. I started the car and asked my father to come. But he was decided to remain there.

So, my brother was obligated to stay with him.

The same thing did my uncle with his wife. At the beginning I hesitated, but when they started to seting the fire in the houses of “Nelaj” neighborhood and shooting by automatic guns, I decided to live. After 20 minutes they killed my brother, then my father, my uncle and his wife. That was a big tragedy.

In Llukare village we unburied 15 persons. In Makovc village, in one grave, we found 15 persons, while in the other one, 17 persons. In Grashtica Village we found 12 persons. Later we found and 5 individual graves spread in the fields. We identified all the buried persons. Only one remained unidentified. When we unburied them, we noticed that most of them had broken limbs and heads. First they are tortured and massacred and then formally are shot by a bullet, to pretend that they are executed by bullets. After two months was difficult to ascertain which pieces of the body were separated, because the cadavers began to decompose. For one of them we found the head only, without the body. In a grave we found the down part of human body.

The forces of Arkan, placed in the house of Sabit, commited all this massacres. The people saw Arkan. One of them who saw Arkan, is Rrahim Prestreshi. He lost his son.

Their crimes were very hard. Real massacres. Once we found only the upper part of a male body. We doubt that they cut him by saw. There are vanished persons and no one knows about their destiny. Even in Makofc village, are committed rapes. In accordance with some traces, it is suspected that the rapes are committed in the house of Gani, in Dikaj area. There we found female clothes, underwear. But we couldn’t know who was raped there. The girls were grabbed from the people’s column and sent somewhere.

He is one of the ten witnesses who experienced the massacre of April 1, 1999, when were killed 60 persons from his village. He was shot by 36 bullets. Gani witnesses for three massacres which are committed in Lybeniq and in environs.

On April 1, 1999, the Serb army and police surrounded Lybeniq village of Peja district. Later they entered village by infantry and armored cars. First, they put out the houses all the peasants. Behind the door of his house, the Serb police fired Adem Bushati (65 years old). Later they gathered all the peasants and sent them in the end of the village. They separated the women and the children of age 15 up to 90 years old. They stooped them in a crossroad toward the end of the village, beside the street.

Meanwhile, two village leaders, Adem Haredinaj and Ukë Bushati, went to talk with the directors of the police expedite. But they threatened them right away:

“We are not policemen, but Serb soldiers. Who fired the houses in this village on May 25, 1998?” (In the day of the first massacre of Lybeniq, while are killed from the Serb invaders, 8 Albanians) Then they fired Adem Hajredinaj and Ukë Bushati, near us. We saw with our eyes how calm they were when they committed the crime.

After killing them, we heard a voice ordering in Serb language: “Lezhite” (lay down). We were 70 persons and laid down as we could in a very narrow space. It didn’t take long and somebody with automatic gun and another one with a machine gun fired the crowd by continuous volleys of bullets. The bodies of the people jumped like the water from the raindrops.

Moans from the pains and than an absolute silence. To verify if they were all dead, some of the Serb soldiers and policemen mounted over our bodies kicking us. Who gave signs of life was killed with big pleasure. The massacre started 10-15 minutes after they gathered us. In this massacre took part around 300 policemen and soldiers.

I can’t witness who and how many were those Serb soldiers and policemen. We, all the peasants, knew that the village was surrounded all around. In each village lanes were placed three-four policemen.

Three hours after the shooting, I woke up from the delirium. I opened the eyes. What to see! All were folded over each other. The blood covered me. My body was pierced everywhere by bullets. I had 36 bullets inside my body, three of them remained inside me till today.

From 70 persons, only 9 remained alive. I (Gani Bushati), Sadik Jahja Myrtaj, Demush Ukshinaj, Isuf Avdullahu, Ali Shoshi, Xhevdet Aliçkaj, Sadik Beshiraj, Tafi Huskaj, and another one, whose name, for the moment, I don’t remember. Wounded we dragged from that place and went in a mountain, 200 hundred meters near the village, where we stayed up to 9 o’clock in the evening of the day of massacre.

Lybeniq Village was in flames. From there we heard several shoot guns. Tafil Huskaj, a young man around 18 years old, passed away from the wounds, half and hour after we arrived the mountain. His body was full of holes from the machine-gun bullets. We left there four of us, wounded. Meanwhile we left for “Strellc e ulët” village to inform what happened in Lybeniq. Most of the way we dragged in the mud. There we asked for a doctor. From there, the inhabitants of Strellc sent us in Isniq Village by a cart. Even there we did not find a doctor. We were sent immediately in Zhebel, in our

military headquarters, where we are cured for two days and nights.

Said Jahja Myrtaj, Sadik Berishaj and I, still not recovering, went walking in Broliq Village. There we met the caravan of refugees going in Albania. We got on the tractors and departed. When we arrived the Deçan City, the policemen captured the young boy who was driving the tractor where I was together with 30 members of his family, and got him off the tractor by force. “Get up and drive” - the policemen threatened me. How to live that boy in their hands and to drive the tractor with an unknown family? It was very hard.

As I objected the orders, the Serb policemen caught me from the coat and went down to a canal, beating me on head by iron bars. When they saw in which situation I was, turned back the boy, who in those moments was taken away by them, in a distance of 20 meters from us.

All the way till in Prizren City, I had blood shed.

The trip lasted for three days and three nights. From Prizren we went in Kukës City, in Albania, where we stayed for 5 days. After we were sent by the cars of foreign soldiers in the Tirana Hospital.

We turned back in Kosovo after the entrance of NATO’s troops.

On April 1, 1999 in the massacre of Lybeniq village are killed: Shaban I. Alimehaj, Haxhi M. Alimehaj, Rustem M. Alimehaj, Hazir M. Alimehaj, Shaban M. Alimehaj, Bajram S. Alimehaj, Fadil Sh. Alimehaj, Ilir S. Lokaj, Zeqe H. Bobi, Bajram R. Bobi, Beke B. Bobi, Muharrem B. Bobi, Abdyl B. Bobi, Dine J. Huskaj, Tafil D. Huskaj, Neke S. Huskaj, Rame A. Avdullahaj, Gëzim D. Avdullahaj, Naim H. Avdullahaj, Haxhi B. Avdullahaj, Metush D. Avdullahaj, Ramë S. Avdullahaj, Feim Sh. Avdullahaj, Rexhë C. Rexhaj, Fazli T. Ukshinaj, Rame B. Ukshinaj, Ruzhdi Q. Ukshinaj, Hajdar U. Ukshinaj, Riza A. Morina, Çun A. Morina, Adem I. Bushati, Smajl I. Bushati, Bajram H. Bushati, Ukë H. Bushati, Ramiz I Hamzaj, Jashar M. Hamzaj, Xhavit I. Hamzaj, Selim S. Hamzaj, Ali B. Shoshi, Gani D. Shoshi, Sefer S. Shoshi, Ali B. Rustemaj, Nazmi B. Rustemaj, Zize Cacaj, Musli H. Haradinaj, Adem S. Aradini, Kadri S. Jahmurataj, Musa S. Jahmurataj, Smajl M. Jahmurataj, Ramiz S. Berisha, Selim Aliçkaj, Arif Tahiraj, Osman T. Alimehaj, Ferdane H. Alimehaj, Leonard O. Alimehaj, Hate O. Alimehaj, Fatmir A. Alimehaj, Qamil Rr. Ukshinaj, Shyhrete Rr. Ukshinaj, Muhamet Q. Ukshinaj, Rrustem S. Ukaj, Smajl S. Huskaj, Selam Sylaj, Haxhi I. Cakaj.

This is the second massacre committed by Serbs in this village. The first one was committed on May 25, 1998, when they shot seven people from this village and one from Deçan. At 13.00 o’clock in the village arrived the police, which first surrounded the village. They took out the houses the males and shot them immediately. They are: Zeqë Misin Hamzaj (1931) with two sons: Gani Hamzaj (1973) and Rifat Hamzaj (1974), Ymer Deli Hamzaj (1945), Bashkim Ymer Hamzaj (1974), Brahim Ukë Hamzaj (1934), Dervish Ukë Hamzaj (1967) and Hysen Daut Alimehaj (1969) from Deçan. They are killed by bullets of “dum-dum” kind. Their heads were destroyed, deformed. That night we kept them in the village mosque and buried them in the next day.

The third massacre, known by name “ the massacre of Beli” happened in the dairy of Beli, one week after the second massacre, on April 6 or April 7, 1999. The Beli dairy is placed over Lybeniq village. There the police massacred 50-60 peasants refugees, who seeked refuge in different villages and left from the Serb police after the massacre April 1, (the massacre of Lybeniq). They didn’t spare even the paralyzed people, as the son and the wife of Osman Alimehaj. In the Beli dairy are massacred around ten people of this family.

There is executed also Qamil Ukshinaj together with his son and his wife pregnant in the ninth month.

Most of them are burned. In the place of incident are found only bones and ash.

These are the three massacres of Lybeniq Village of Peja

The day the police entered in Llabjan village of Peja, immediately carried out a raid and put the people out of their houses. They took all my family and sent it in a house here in Llabjan. They separated from us my father, Cena, who was trader. They entered him in the baggage of the car and sent him in Gjakova City. They didn’t take the other men.

The Serb paramilitaries tortured, investigated, beat and pillaged us. My sister in low, Bahrie (Lajci) Kelmendi fainted from the tortures. The paramilitaries took her the gold from the neck and 700 German marks.

They took away from my mother 2000 German marks, given by my father to serve her during the way. Together with us were some women of the village. They took us

hostages and closed inside the house for 24 hours.

None of the females who were with us is raped.

My father suffered a lot. They kept him ten days in arrest and beat him too much.

Some of the Serb policemen and paramilitaries had masks and used to speak a broken Albanian. Possibly they were Serbs who live in our country.

They beat the men in front of us. It was so harming to see them beating an father. Together with my father they beat four others. They were Kreshnik Kelmendi, Rifat Kelmendi, Musa Kelmendi and Muharrem Ferrizi.

They released the females on the fifth day morning and sent us toward Lutoglava village. I wanted to turn back and give my father some cigarettes. It was very difficult for him without smoking. I asked the policemen if I could do any thing. They told me: “No, because Cena is condemned by death”. Meanwhile one of the policemen ironically said: “Go, we’ll give him”.

From that day we didn’t hear anything about my father destiny, as we were sent to Albania. When we turned back from Albania, we found in our home, in two places, burned bones. Some of village’s inhabitants, who turned back from Albania before us, approved this fact because just there was prisoner our father, Cena.

In our home is burned one of our neighbors, Musë Maloku.

In my village it is not committed any massacre, but are burned 16 houses and domestic animals are killed.

Between the burned houses is my new house, also. A massacre is accomplished in Jabllanica village of Dushkaja region, on July 1998, during the first offensive in Jabllanica. I heard that the Serbs caught in her house the mother of Lah Brahimaj, Aza, 60 years old and killed her. Exists the doubt that they cut her into pieces, from the foot to the head. When her son came back from the war, wrapped her with a blanket and buried her in the village’s cemetery.

Meanwhile, in Kuskuriq village of Peja, Zymber found his son, Jusuf Fazliaj, drowned in a pit. Over him were thrown bricks. Jusuf was married, with two children.

No one can tell the number of the Serb infantry forces, but in the afternoon of April 16, 1999, they appeared every where in separated groups: in the place called “Livadhet e Gjana”, in the mountain’s slopes and peaks. Up there was burning Plitkoviq village and down was burning Sllovia of Lipjan....

In the place called “Lugu i Demës” were placed around 300 people from Sllovia village, all civilians, most of them children, women, old people.  Six Serbs with uniforms, four of them masked, came there. Two of them were paramilitaries without masks. One of them was skinny, medium height, with machinegun in hand, ready to shoot in every moment. The second one was fat, rare teeth, used to light the cigarette and smoke quietly.

The skinny one, was seen some times in Sllovia.

The skinny asked the people from Sllovia to hand over all the precious things, threatening that if any one dares to hide anything, will be executed immediately.

Jonuz Paçolli (1941), deaf, didn’t know what the skinny was asking for. He was seating down and keeping on his lap his paralyzed wife. The skinny, furious from “the indifference”, took aim and shot him. Jonuz fell dead over the body of his wife. Meanwhile, he separated from the crowd, Zeqir Hetemi (1979), Fatmir Bytyçi (1964) and Heset Lekiqi (1969), who was guest from Gadimja. They ordered that all in a row, one by one, to deliver the documents in the place appointed by him. All the time the fat man, who used to speak Albanian, offended, provoked, beat, caused bleeding and faints, especially to the young’s. Habib Dubova was ordered to fire the documents, stuff, tractors, etc. In a moment he arrived to escape. The fat man got angry and revenged. Immediately he executed three persons: Zeqir, Fatmir and Heset. In that moment came the other man with uniform. He was also fat. One of the masked Serbs informed him about something. The second fat man pointed Isak Bytyçi, ex policeman and ordered him: “Hey you, with mustaches, come here!”.

After withdrawing him from the crowd, he killed him.

That day of April, they were not fed up with the blood of innocent Albanians. They gathered the children and the women and ordered them to go up the mountain, keeping as hostages the men, ordering them to sit down. After some minutes, they forced them to climb the mountain, and then fired them on the back with volleyes of bullets. Less or more, many peasants got wounded. From the wounds died Raif Shala (1952) from Sushica. Meanwhile, in “Lugu i Demës”, were captured and executed Naser Ismaili (1970) and Haki Ismaili (1970). They were found massacred, with eyes torn off and the ears cut!

Before the night coming, the assassin Serb units draw back to Sllovia, to be concentrated there. To cleanse that place they took the tractors with the Albanians’stuff and everything saved from the fire and the ruin. They appropriated or burned the Albanians stuff and destroyed the rest completely during the way. Who dared to enter in Sllovia, if noticed, suffered a lot. So, the brothers Shefki Salihu and Salih Salihu were captured and sent in the building of the old school, where were tortured cruelly. Two days later, Shefki died tortured.

In continuity I’m occupied with the identification of the cadavers, killed or massacred from the Serb paramilitary and military forces. There are many cases when was necessary the re-identification of the cadavers. During these acts I gained immunity and I was filling almost nothing.

During the unburying of the victim, Shaban Krasniqi, in Mramur, we found his cadaver completely undecomposed. He was executed from a near distance.

Terrible cases were the cadavers that we found across the river. They were two young men, both with cut heads. Their bodies were intact and the heads were down there. When I returned for the second time, I found the dogs eating the cadavers. I informed some journalist’s teams from Holland, Turkey, Brazil and Spain and accompanied them at the cadavers, drawing their attention to not step any mine. Those two boys were Mujë Osmani and Remzi Kosumi, who passed there during the massacre in Makoc, Llukare and Grashtica, around April 19-23,1999.

The people, who remained in the mountains, continued to move secretly to meet their families or to provide food. During these movements the people suffered a lot from the Serb paramilitaries, especially the young’s.

There is another case of a man, unidentified but buried. As an identification sign he has just a shoe.

One of the legs and the two arms also, are torn off and it’s not clear with what are cut. He is killed in any of massacres after March 30.

For some civilians victims, founded in the “Mill of Arif”, it’s done the autopsy by some foreign pathologists. According to a pathologist, who didn’t want to be identified, may be for security reasons, these people are not massacred, but only killed from a near distance.

At the place called “Guri i Keq”, according to the witnesses, there were people slaughtered by knifes on the neck. The people, who have been walking in the people’s column, have seen the Serbs slaughteeing them.

At the “Mill of Sefer” the line of people stooped. The Serbs killed a man and his wife who was trying to help her husband. The small child remained crying beside the dead parents....

There are other extreme cases also: They killed one of the twin of a mother and told her: “You don’t need two, is enough only one!”

Another massacre occurred in the garage of Nebi Krasniqi. The Serbs gathered the Albanians in the house of Sabit. A big number of people are executed in the house’s yard of Sabit, in whose house we found many shells. The yard was full of straw, attempting to hide the blood by it. There were a lot of clothes, cradles, and quilts, all with blood. In the garage of Nebi Krasniqi was noticed a coat colored blue, which was belonging to Enver Asan Vitia, as it was certified later. He was slaughtered on the neck, but his head was not cut. His limbs were missed. In garage there were a lot of children clothes. The floor was full of blood signs. There were some laths with blood. Also there was blood in the channel of the garage... During the unburing process we found many massacred people.

We found bodies without heads, as in the graves of Hamzaj Family....

There is also the Zahir Haxholli’s case. The serbs cuted him by a motor saw. In the body there were a lot of knife cuts. During the unburing process we noticed that his body was cut in the middle in two pieces.

This was verified from all the people who saw him. The body was not cut straight.

The body of Zahir was cut over those laths. They knew about him before. According to the witness of his brother, Gani Haxholli, he was taken from the people’s row together with some of his close relatives.

Zahir Haxholli was born on 1950 in Marec, the neighborhood of Haxhollaj. There were some other close relatives, killed also: Naser Haxholli, Sali Haxholli and Refi Haxholli (teacher in Marec), etc.

Zahir worked for some time as cook in the headquarters of UÇK. The day he was taken from the people’s row (during the way from Grashtica to Makovc) he was wearing civil clothes. Mile Rakoçevic, a Serb paramilitary living in Makoc, knew him, as he had some contacts with him before. This one and a man called “the Goran of Lubisha” knew almost all.

The people identified these criminals, as they identified Zhelko Razhnjatoviç - Arkan, because of his characteristic head’s shape. That day he was wearing a white shirt and used to order the paramilitaries pointing: “Bring me this person” From the verandah of the house of Sabit in Makoc, he ordered his collaborators, to take the people out of the column. This happened on April 21-22, 1999. About this witness many people, who were in this segment of the people’s row. Also, there are witnesses for the presence of Ratko Mlladiq in Sofalia.

There are a lot of rape cases, but most of the raped women refused to be identified.

The old lady, Zyle Musa, born on 1925, from Sibovc of Podujeva, according to the witnesses, is found killed and massacred, in the house of Balia Family, in Grashtica. For this can witness Rexhep Balia, also, with his two sons.

The old lady was found with the underwear fallen down the knees and the other clothes over the breasts. She was cut by knife in a cross shape over the genital organs. After the rape, they shot her by bullets. She is buried in the house of Sadri, but the relatives unburied and reburied her in the family’s cemetery on 18.09.1999.

A girl, (who doesn’t accept to give even her name initials) was undressed by the Serb soldiers who ordered her to move naked through the column of people. They threatened her by rape.

There are cases of burning people, as it is the case of three old people, all over 70 years old, respectively Sadri Krasniqi, his wife and another old man. The Serb paramilitaries burned in Siçeva, the old man Sylë Berisha.

The witnesses narrate about some cases when the people are cuted by knifes, but saved alive, as it is the case of Jakup Prapashtica.

In the Llukar Valley are found some common graves: inside the graves of Krasniqi Family (15 cadavers), at the old graves of Hamzaj neighborhood (19 cadavers), at Hoxhaj neighborhood (17 cadavers), at the “Mill of Arif” in Grashtica, at the “Bad Stone” in Ogrija, in the Valley of Llukara, near Prishtina.

The age of the massacred people was from 17 up to 74 years old.

In an appendix of the monograph “The municipality of Llukar”, Prishtina, 1999, the author A.Sh. Berisha, writes:

One day after the NATO’s bombardments, the Serb forces started the expel Albanians from the cities of Kosovo.

The population of Prishtina City, feeling the danger, partially shifted in the highlands of Gallap, hoping to be protected from the UÇK. There were shifts from the city on March 31 and April 1,1999, also. Prishtina looked like a phantasm city, where were moving only masked Serb paramilitaries.

In the highlands of Gallap were seeking refuge over 100.000 people and the others in Albania and Macedonia. In their houses remained few families and invidious, who were every day exposed to the threaten and rapines. On March 24, was killed at the “Fountain of Ilaz” in Llukar, one of the paramilitaries of the Llukar’s quarters. He was killed by Agim Osaj from Braina, inhabitant of the “Kulla e Llukarit” neighborhood, who was sending food and clothes to his family in Stallova. In this way, started the killing serial.

On March 30, 1999, the bands of Arkan and Sheshel, assisted from the Serb inhabitants were terrorizing the city. In front if his yard’s gates, they killed Amir L. Berisha from Berisha neighborhood in Llukar, who was living in “Drenica” street. The population was shifted from the houses of the “Kolovica e Re” and “Kodra e trimave” neighborhoods and gathered in “Protelerit” street. The activists convinced them to turn back in their houses. One part turned back, but the others, through Kolovica and Butovc, passed in the area controlled by UÇK. The shifting continued on March 31, also, agraviating the social situation in Llukar Municipality.

The people opened their houses and received the others without limitation. Several houses had over 100 people in care. Due to the caused poverty, in the next days were noticed peoples’ movements entering in the city and viceversa. Some of those people fall prey of Serb barbarous who closed all the furnishing channels of the city.

On April 14, were vanished without traces Ruzhdi I. Krasniqi and Zeqir S. Krasniqi of Musliaj neighborhood of Llukar, who went in the city to take the pension and foods. In the evening of the same day, in the place called ”Fun Përronit të Popit”, both of them are killed by the members of the Serb forces who were patrolling with a car “Golf” brand, red color. In the same day, the same patrol killed Gani Sijarina and two solders of UÇK, who were entering in the city and wounded Zeqir H. Dabisheci, near the small river of Kolovica.

On April 18, 1999, about 5500 Serb solders, policemen and paramilitaries leaded from other Serbs who worked before as postmen, electrician or in the police post-blocks and knew very well the area, undertook an offensive by grenades and later entered by infantry in the land of Gallapi’s highlands and from the Suteska of Mramor in south-east; from the north-west entered in the Rimanishtë, Sharban, Bellopojë, Dyz, Batllavë, villages; from north-east in the side of Ballaban, Nishes and Prapashtice villages. The population who was seeking refuge in Koliq, Keqekollë, Marec, Mramor, Grashticë, Radashec, Siqevë, and Makoc started to move toward Prishtina through the channel Stallova-Prishtina, through Grashtica, Makoc and Llukar.

The line of people with tractors, cars, tracks, or walking was endless. Endless were the damages of Serbs toward the unprotected civil population, also.

On April 20, 21, 22, and 23, 1999 in Koliq were massacred over 87 civilians. The policemen established some post-blocks for executions: in the “Teuta” primary school of Grashtica, where were raped many young girls, who later were massacred; in the Balaj Family’s house at “The Mill of Jusuf”, the Serbs separated from the others many young’s and executed them; at the Berhamaj neighborhood of Makovc, also they massacred many young’s in the garage of Nebih Krasniqi, in the military quarters of Llukar and in the house of Nezir over the “Mill of Xhaxha”, in the entrance of Prishtina. The Serb butchers, regardless the fact that the people gave or not the asked money, executed them killing or slaughtering in the neck, in front of the parents, brothers, sisters, children and wives.

When they finished slaughtering, the Serb butchers engaged the “Çiçota” enterprise (its employees are mainly gypsies) to bury in Ugrija, 7 Albanians, in Hoxhaj neighborhood of Makoc, inside the cemetery, 26 Albanians. In Hamzaj are buried inside the cemetery, 24 Albanians and in the cemetery of Krasniqi Family in Lukar, 15 Albanians. The Albanians killed across the Prishtinka river, from the bridge of Ibishit till the place called “Bunari i Ilazit”, are buried from the peasants of Berisha neighborhood in Llukar.

Remained unburied: a young man massacred in the house of Afrim Berisha, unidentified because was almost burned; Remzi Riza Kosumi from Halabak village and Mujë Osmani from Sharban, massacred in the place called “Bahshçe të Sylës të Ilazit”; an unidentified person brought by the river or killed and massacred near the “Fun Arës” river.

The persons who are killed and buried: two in the place called  “Livadh i Manit” beside the river, three in the New Cemeteries of Berisha neighborhood; two old men found killed in Rexhaj neighborhood, two young people from Grashtica.

There are killed and massacred these inhabitants of Llukar municipality: Grashticë-Balaj: Ilaz V. Krasniqi, 69 years old, Fehmi R. Krasniqi, 37 years old, Nysret S. Krasniqi, Ismail Krasniqi.

Grashticë-Tahiraj: Isa Xh. Krasniqi. Grashticë-Ugria: Ibrahim A. Krasniqi, 41 years old, Latif  N. Krasniqi, 18 years old and his sister Shqipe N. Krasniqi, 18 years old.

In Radashec, on April 29, 1999, the paramilitaries killed and then robbed inside their house: Raif Sh. Berisha, 42 years old, Esmahe R. Berisha, Raif’s wife, 40 years old, Besnik R. Berisha, their child, 13 years old and Enver Maloku from Batllava, son in low of Shabani Family, 40 years old.

In Siqevë: the old man Sylë Berisha, 72 years old with his wife Vahide Berisha, 72 years old, Jahir M. Berisha, 100 years old and Enver Sh. Berisha, 28 years old. From Makoci-Behramaj: Sadri H. Krasniqi with his wife Azize N. Krasniqi and Feti Krasniqi, old people over 70 years old, sick. They were burned inside their houses. The son of Feti, Nexhmedin Krasniqi was killed while escaping; from Makoc-Hoxhaj: Hajdin Krasniqi, Ibrahim Krasniqi and Zeqir Krasniqi, all over 60 years old. In Llukar – Muslijaj: Zeqir S. Krasniqi and Ruzhdi I. Krasniqi, over 60 years old, killed on May

19,1999 (guest). So, from the Llukar municipality are killed 28 unarmed, unidentified civilians.

In Berisha neighborhood of Llukar, in the place called “Te Arat n’Kodër” is found killed and buried in the same place, Mustafë A. Deliu from Koliq, born on 1933.

On April 25, 1999, in the place called “Baçja e Hazirit”, down the mill, was found killed a male, 24-25 years old, unidentified, buried in the new cemeteries in Fun Leçevishte. In Rexhaj neighborhood of  Llukar are found and then buried two unidentified old people.

The following persons are considered as lost: Grashticë-Ugria: Murat M. Krasniqi, 47 years old, Fatmir T. Krasniqi, 30 years old, Rasim D. Krasniqi, 34 years old and Avdush H. Krasniqi, 38 years old; Grashticë-Balaj: Hajriz B. Krasniqi, 62 years old and Bashkim H. Krasniqi, 25 years old; Grashticë-Tahiraj: Xheladin D. Krasniqi and his son, Isa Xh. Krasniqi.

The serbs butchers burned the houses also: Grashticë-Ugria, 19 houses; Grashticë-Balaj, 6 houses; Grashticë-Tahiraj, 7 houses; Makoc-Hoxhaj: 2 houses; Makoc-Behramaj, 1 house. Llukar municipality; Siqevë: all the upper neighborhood; Llukar-Rexhaj, 2 houses; Llukar-Berisha, 5 houses; Llukar-Kulla, 6 houses; all the albanian houses in the Old Kolovica, tens of houses in New Kolovica and all the houses in the place called “Butoc i Epërm”.

We left Koliq because there were fights in our neighborhood also. The Serb forces attacked. The solders, which were just 200 meters in distance from us, were dressed by motley clothes and had a red band bounded in the arm. In our neighborhood they didn’t slaughter, only killed. They killed Ali Shabani and Adil Shabani, the wife and the daughter of Riza Shabani and Shaban, a guest of Riza. This happened in Feraj neighborhood in Koliq. We were obligated to enter by a tractor in the people’s column. I was with my family composed by fifteen persons. One day we slept in Stallova, as we couldn’t advance. On April 19, the army stooped us near the house of Rexhep Balia, over the “The stone of Baloniq”. Some of them had kerchiefs on the heads and a band bounded in the arm. They were placed in both sides of the street. Our column was very long, from the “Mill of Isuf” till the “Hills of Grashtica”.

As Eshref Hasani witnesses, the son in low of Nezir, the paramilitaries asked money. “I had only ten German marks and 40 dinar. They took the marks, as for the dinars they said that we don’t need them” “I was seating in the cabin of the tractor, together with my son, Avni Nezir Sejdiu” – tells Nezir Sejdiu.

The Serb solders asked money. We gave them 600 German marks. They ordered my son to get down! Then took him under the bridge and shot him with 15 bullets. I took my son, helped by my nephews and my son in low, and put him on the tractor. He resisted for twenty minutes and then passed away. We took off his shoes and covered him. Then we departed. We drove only 20-30 meters. We get on another tractor, while my son in low was looking behind. They throw down the other son, Nexhbedin, asking him money. He said: I have not money. Really he had not money. The Serb caught him from the chest and shot him three times. He passed away immediately. That day we took the spouse of the killed son from Cervadik. We came together with his spouse there. The soldiers came around the tractor offending the females and cutting by knife the plastic sheet by which was covered the tractor. They asked gold from my wife, Ilmie Gashi. She had a dukedom hidden, so they couldn’t take it.

They cut her by a knife in the arm and over the knee.

Also, they cut in arm and leg, my daughter, Edlira. “They asked German marks and gold. Only one of them was speaking Albanian, who used to say “dukedom” and “money”, Edlira tells.

Eshref Hasani tells: “ One of them asked me to enter under the bridge, where they killed Avni and Nexhbedin, but later his attention was withdrawn from another tractor, and I turned back to my family. With a part of my family I turned in Koliq, while the others departed for Prishtina.”

“When they took my son, - Nezir Sejdia tells – I didn’t talk or shout. Even my sons. They didn’t ask my son about anything. They asked from them just money.

Even they took the money, they killed them. That was their goal.

Nexhbedin was found later in the common grave inside the old graves of Krasniqi Family, in Llukar. As for Avni, he was buried in “Guri i Keq” area, in Grashtica. Both were brought in the family graves, in Feraj, Koliq.

The old lady, Rabije Sejdiu, 70 years old, remained on the tractor, because she was paralyzed. They ordered us to live from there. No one could drive the tractor.

The old lady, Rabije Sejdiu, was found buried at the “Bed Stone” in Ugrija and later is reburied in Peraj of Koliq.

On March 28, 1999, the special police and the Serb army surrounded the houses of Matiçan village, Prishtina commune. At 6 o’clock evening they entered houses and destroyed everything found, while they closed us in the rooms. They took many people and sent in the police stations some members of Paçolli Family, respectively Liman Paçolli, Gjylazim Paçolli, Muhamet Paçolli, Sylejman Paçolli, Rahim Paçolli, Azem Paçolli, Naser Paçolli, Veli Paçolli, Ismet Ismaili, Hali Fazliu, etc. They were treated cruelly. The reason for this acting was under the pretexts of the presence of UÇK’s solders in our neighborhood. On March 28, was killed Kushtrim Gashi and was heavily wounded Agim Ismaili and Mejdi Bekteshi.

Some of Serbs were masked. Surely they were Kosovo inhabitants. To save from the ill treatments, many people of Matiçan escaped, to turn back some days later.

That day, (March 28) in Matiçan are heard many different kind of arms.

That day was the Feast of Sacrifice. Around 14.00 o’clock the Serbs started to shoot by many different kind of arms. After some minutes the Serbs arrived in Matiçan. I have seen a lot of people who were going toward Zalltar, and later toward Mramuer.

At the cemetery the Serbs started to push along the civil Albanians. There was killed also, my cousin, Rame Krasniqi, who was together with me. Are wounded Qazim Murseli, the nephew of Jasharaj Family from Prekaz, refugees from Drenica and Bislim Sejdiu. We heard that Serbs killed many other Albanians also.

Near the place called “Përparim” in the exit of Prishtina, was wounded Ismet Sinani, who informed the people of Matiçan, to live for Zalltar village. That day the bullets were coming from all round. One of them shot me on the coat, but didn’t hurt my body. On March 28 are killed some other people from Matiçan who were coming by a car: Avdi Makolli, Zijadin Cubi and Haki Buzuku. In the same day was killed Adem Sekiraqa.

About this crime were informed all the Serbs of the country. I’m very sure about this. Just before the massacre of Matiçan was accomplished, many people have noticed the Serbs of Matiçan, staying in front of the shops and watching their watches. Surely they knew the exact time of the Serb police’s attack. Or watching their watches they were giving signals to each other.

All the Serbs of Matiçan were armed. They shot the people. I have seen them with my eyes: Sllavisha Ristiqi (Caci), his brother Dragan Ristiqi, Sasha, Zhika, Dushko and Misha Arsiqi, Zoran Stankoviqi, etc.

That day many people of Matiçan escaped in the nearest villages, as in Zllatar and Mramuer. Many remained in Matiçan. The others, in the area of Devodelev, were kept closed for all the night from the police who threaten and beat them, but didn’t kill them.

All what happened I observed from distance. I saw how they killed Haki Buzuku, Zijad Cubi and Avdi Makolli.

Many Serbs were placed in the house of Ukë Balaj, inspector of police. That day I saw many other assassinations. Around 15.00 o’clock, I saw a killed man beside his car. Later I heard that he was Adem Sekiraqa. The Serbs, who were placed in the house of Ukë Balaj, were shooting civilians. They remained there till the next day.  Many Serbs of Makovc, committed crimes. One of them was Bora Llaziq.

On March 28, the Fest of Sacrifice, I fell into the Serbs ambush and I was wounded. Even I was very careful, I didn’t notice the ambush. Behind a white jeep, was hidden a military car. In front of me was palced a car, where were Haki, Zijadin and Avdi, who were killed from the tank and arms’ shoots. In my car, was my son, 14 years old. They started shooting my car, also. A bullet wounded my finger of the hand by which I was driving, while two other bullets wounded my arm. With the other hand I was trying to protect my son from the bullets pushing him down. I drove wounded for some hundred meters. The Serb militaries were shooting in continuity toward us. I was washed by blood. When I thought that we were out of danger, the engine of the car stooped. We got off the car in hurry and started to push it.

The bullets were flying overheads and all round.

Fortunately, the car engine started and we arrived to escape toward the village and informed the peasants not to depart for Prishtina City because of the ambush. That night I remained in the village wounded.

We stayed in the house’s basement of Nazmi Sinani with many other people. That night, many people captured by Serbs are treated cruelly.

That night I couldn’t depart with my family, so we stayed in a basement. From all the sides we heard arms shooting. We felt the danger, and after three o’clock decided to depart for Mramuer. We left secretly passing near the Matiçan cemetery, but because the voice of a baby who was with us, the Serbs, who were in the house of Ukë, disclosed us and started to fire toward us. From the shoots were killed my daughter, 17 years old, Hasan Mehmeti, teacher, Vezire Mehmeti Fazliu, 30 years old, just married, while her husband was wounded. That night were wounded the small girls

Elhame Rafuna, 13 years old and her sister Salija, 15 years old. My daughter didn’t pass away immediately.

She passed away half an hour later, in the house of Azem Gashi, here in Matiçan, where we stayed that night. With me were two other wounded girls also, who the next day are taken from Mujë Gashi and Skënder Gashi and sent in Mramuer. My wife, who due the situation was not with me, that night stayed in another house. My daughter was shot by bullets of “dum-dum” kind. Four of them shot her in the leg and

the others in the abdomen.

That night will never be forgotten. It was disastrous.

When the Serbs started to shoot we escaped. My family left in another direction. i thought that all my family was killed. i stayed in Hasan’s house till the next morning, 8 o’clock. From the upstairs floor i observed the place where they attacked us. I saw just dogs and magpies.

Later we departed for Mramuer and i heard about the death of my daughter, 17 years old.

The massacre occurred on March 24, the day NATO started air attacks against the Serb military bases.

There were massacred 22 persons. 21 of them were Kotlina’s inhabitants and one from Ivaje village. The Serbs tortured them cruelly and throw in two pits (one 9 meters deep and the other one 7 meters), opened for water needs some years before by Adem Kuçi. Then in the pits is thrown explosive to destroy the massacred bodies. In the same day are killed in front of their families, 3 other inhabitants of this village.

During the first Serb offensive in this village, as the inhabitants call it, which happened on March 8, are killed two other people from Kotlina.

Haziz Loku, 55 years old is working as servant in the “Naim Frashëri” primary school, in Kotlina. He is ocular witness of the macabre incident happened in this place. He tells:

“During the first offensive of the Serb forces, on March 8, 1999, which started around 10 o’clock till 15 o’clock when they left the village, I have seen how entered 14 armored cars in the village. I saw all this together with Cen Loku and Shaban Loku, with whose I have been in the mountain, at the place called “Lugu I Fierit”. I sent my family before in Gllobocica. After sending them there, I stayed in the mountain for all

the night. In the evening I meet Cen Loku and Shaban Loku and together we observed the first offensive.

That day, during the bombardments and attacks, are killed Milaim Loku and Emërllah Kuçi. The first was shot by 5-6 bullets and the second by one bullet on the chest. We found their cadavers after nine days.

The first person who found their cadavers was Hazbi Loku and the brother of Milaim, Eset Loku. In the same day we buried them in the cemetery of the village.

During this offensive the police killed these two only. But the police didn’t come just to attack and retreat. That day they fired a neighborhood in Drashnec. I have seen how they burned 11 houses and a barn. They stole a car of NIVA brand, broke a shop and stole it also. The Second offensive, during which was accomplished the massacre also, occurred on March 24.

When I woke up in the morning, 8 o’clock, I heard machine guns and tanks’ firing from the direction of Kashan. Immediately I tried to hid myself somewhere and save from the offensive. After a while, when they cleansed the area by volleys of shots, the Serb infantry entered the village. They gathered the women, children and old people and placed them in the field called Ograde. The Serb policemen surrounded the village. The infantry came from several directions.

There were around 400-500 Serb solders, policemen and paramilitaries. The bullets and the lights of armored cars were coming from everywhere. I was hidden after the stones to escape from the tank shoots, which lasted from the morning till the evening. The police got up on tractors all the women, children and old people, while the others went on foot. The women and the children are sent in Kaçanik and the men in Ferizaj. Some men are sent in the police station of Kaçanik where are treated cruelly. That day in the village are killed three old people: Zymer Loku (70 years old), Idriz Kuci (55 years old), and Vesel Vllashi (55 years old). They were beaten brutally in front of their families. Their teeth were broken. Then are killed. From distance where I was hidden, I saw how they took Idriz from the people’s crowd and sent him at the house of Liman Loku. There, after they put off the house the children and beat him by kicks and rifles. They killed him in the yard shooting on the head. They found Vesel inside the house. They entered him in a room and later fired the house. I saw myself the fire covering the house. All these persons are beaten in face of their families and children. They beat and kicked the children of Vesel also, when they got them out of the house.

From the place were I was hidden, I heard the Serb solders and policemen’s insults. I heard the calls of Zymer, who was gravely wounded in leg and arm. He had blood shedding. He was wounded around 8-9 o’clock in the morning. He remained in that situation till 1 o’clock in the night, without any medical aid. The police started retreating around 19 o’clock from the “Kodra e Bjeshkëve” area.

In the same day are massacred 22 young people also, from 16-48 years old. These left the village to hide in the mountain. They were around 40 persons. Who left from the place of massacre remained alive, and who refused to live because from there could observe their family members, were captured by the Serb militaries.

I was 100 meter from the place where they were beating them by a piece of wood with nails driven in it. I heard their screams, but I couldn’t help them. It was very hard. I was laid down near a stone and waiting in every moment to be captured. I was hearing guns firing from all around. I didn’t know if those shots were coming from the place of two pits. I think they were dead from the barbarian beating. May be some of them were alive when they throw them inside the pits, where later they throw dynamite. They are beaten cruelly from 12 till 14 o’clock, time in which was heard the dynamite explosion.

The place around the pits was mined. From all the victims are taken the wallets from their pockets and all the money. After the explosion I saw clothes flying in the air, which remained over the trees. I smelled the scent of charred flesh. Reference to some

opinions there are killed 30 persons. In the pit were thrown 22 persons.

After this they burned the village, 26 houses in total. 4 house only remained unburned. The police couldn’t find the 48 persons hidden near the brook of the village, at the fortress. Today we call it “the brook of rescue”. I descended the mountain after 19 o’clock completely shocked. I walked through the village where I meet some of my peasants. We went at Zymer, the wounded one. He was asking help and water.

In the place of massacre we went the next day, because we were doubting that the place was mined. I went there together with Vebi Loku and Ismet Kuçi. It was 10 o’clock. We noticed around gloves, hats, and wallets. The cadavers were not appeared, covered by mounds after the explosion. In one pit there were 6 victims and in the other one 16 ones. We lifted them up on September 4, after the foreigners promised us to unmine the place where was committed the crime.

He works as servant in “Naim Frashëri” primary school.

In the massacre of Kotlina was killed his brother, Sherif Kuçi, 28 years old. He was soldier of UÇK.

As solders, we were placed in a house alone. We had guards who used to inform about everything happening around us. After some information we left the house and went in the mountain.

We were 16 persons. Some civilians jointed us after.

We were altogether 36 persons. We noticed the lack of possibility to retire. I saw how was wounded Zymer.

The Serb solders who observed our movements shot us. I left them to see what was going on, despite of their objections. Some others also were separated from the group. 22 persons fell into an ambush. 11 of them were armed, one was civilian. As solders we didn’t open the fire as we saw the civilans and heard the Serbs saying that in case of one shoot will kill all the civilian, women, children, old people, gathered in Ograde. From the mountain I saw how they used to beat the men in front of their families. The place where I was in hidden was 20 meters in distance from the place where happened the massacre. I stayed there around one hour.

Meanwhile, near me passed three persons, my brother, another one and a girl, who were going toward the Serb military and police forces. I stooped them turning in the opposite direction not to go in the hands of Serbs. From there I was hearing the shouts of people who were the prisoners of Serbs, among them and my brother, Sherif. After the screams I heard the big explosion inside two pits. I believe there were two explosions in the same moment. We decided not to attack, being afraid that they may revenge killing all the civils. Then I moved through the mountain, but they didn’t see us. I meet two friends: Abas Loku and Naser Kuçi. We hid ourselves in the mountain till 18 o’clock in the evening.  Then we approached the village. We stayed in hidden till 22 o’clock when we entered the village, as we didn’t know if Serbs left the village or not. I knew that all were massacred.

Then we went in Drashnec in the house of Cen Loku and stayed there till 4 o’clock in the morning. From there we went at the house of Nebi Kuçi and meet there Aziz Loku, Rexhep Loku and Nebi Kuçi. There we heard that the group of 48 persons, hidden at the village brook, at the Fortress, left for Macedonia. Next day walking in the village, we found only a child, Çelik Loku, 13 years old, who remained in the village. During the offensive he was hidden in the minaret of the village mosque and from there he saw everything. (Çelik doesn’t want to talk at all about what he witnessed.

He feels shocked. From that day he has difficulties in talking. - Authors’ note) During two days staying with us he spoke only some words. He was completely jammed.

He told us that the Serbs took all the peasants by tracks.

Çelik was in the basement of his house, near the mosque, where the police couldn’t see him. When he heard the policemen saying that will kill everyone, got scared and entered in the minaret of the mosque.

He talked also for the massacre of two pits.

At the place of massacre we went next day, on 7 o’clock morning.

The massacred people of March 24, 1999 are: Garip Loku (1951), Sherif Kuqi (1971), Minan Kuqi (1982), Danush Kuqi (1982), Ismet Loku (1978), Beram Loku (1971), Naser Loku (1982), Ibush Loku (1979), Agim Loku (1968), Ismail Loku (1971), Naser Loku (1975), Cen Loku (1964), Adnan Loku (1978), Sabit Loku (1979), Sabri Loku (1971), Nexhadi Kuqi ( 1968), Xhemal Kuqi (1977), Ismail Kuqi (1978), Mahi Loku (1978), Zija Loku (1976), Sali Vllashi (1955) and Neshat Rexhaj (1970) from Ivaja.

L.G, 23 years old, from Peja district

I’m raped by my Serb neighbor. Before we had good relations with him. My family agreed with him to protect each other in danger case. We may protect his family from our army and he may protect us from the Serb paramilitaries. But he didn’t keep his promise.

He participated in Serb paramilitaries groups.

On April 3, around the midnight, he came in our house together with other 8 Serb paramilitaries. Three of them were masked. He was one of them. I knew him from his accent. The others were unmasked. Just entered the house the paramilitaries asked for arms. Meanwhile, my sister tried to ask help from our Serb neighbor, but didn’t get any answer from his house. My paramilitary neighbor took me in the other room and after shackled my hands, raped me for 40 minutes. He smelled alcohol.

Several times he used to threaten me by death. “If we find here any man we’ll kill you all as dogs”- he used to say. Also he said that would turn back again any time he needed and if I was trying to escape, will kill me. Just they left, together with my sister and another girl, our relative, we left in the mountain and there we passed all the night. They were not raped. They knew what happened to me. The Serb neighbor left when the KFOR’ forces entered Kosovo.

This happened on April 5, 1999, when some Serb paramilitaries entered in our home pretending that there were hidden UÇK’ solders. When they understood that I was nurse forced me to go with them under the pretext to cure the wounds of a Serb solder. In the home where they sent me, there were two Albanian females, also. One of them was doctor and the other one nurse. They both were staying there by their desire. I vituperated them about what they were doing.

It seems that they told the Serb paramilitaries. Then they ordered me to undress and two paramilitaries raped me. Then they released me.

That was terrible for me. Now I have bad dreams.  I didn’t tell my family what happened to me. During all this time I’m trying to get any information about the nurse and doctor who played that trick to me. I don’t know how I might behave with them. There are many other raped females. I know some of them. They are afraid to tell about, because they fear the opinion.

Most of them are shocked. They know that they didn’t commit shameful acts, but they can not tell in public what happened to them, because they are afraid of being underestimated.

A.R. is a very young girl from Lipjan District, who is raped from Serbs militaries. She was placed in the camp of Senkovc. She is raped together with her sister in low.

“Four armed Serbs ordered us to enter in the stable.

They beat and then raped my sister in low. They pull me from the arm and placed me in the other side of the stable. At the beginning the beat me. After I don’t know what happened because I lost my conscience. After a long time I felt something cold on my forehead. My sister in low was cooling my forehead and eyes. She was blood stained and bewildered. She was not accepting that she was raped. I know what happened to her. We agreed not to tell anyone about what happened us. That day of April the Serbs raped and many other women. All their crazy acts are accomplished in collaboration with the Serbs of the area.

Fetie Iska

On may 9, all the inhabitants of Rahovec decided to live for Albania, but Serbs turned us back saying that we could not move from here. That day I finished some house’s works and went to visit my family: my mother, father and my eldest sister, Zamina with her three children, Visar, Azra, Venhar, and the daughter of my brother, Egzona. When I approached the door I got surprised: it was open. Usually the door used to be closed by a lock and everybody had to knock before entering inside.

When I saw it open, really I doubted. With me was my son, Benjamin, 7 years old, whose I was keeping by hand. I decided to enter inside and after opening the door I saw that inside was completely dark. I astounded asking myself if they were there or not.When I entered home I saw that all the doors were opened, the hall and the rooms’ doors also.

There were not movements. In that moment my son said: Mom, all are sleeping. I saw my watch, was 11 o’clock.

No, my son, it is not possible to be sleeping all in this time. I approached slowly. All were laid down.

First I came near Visar. He was dead. I didn’t believe my eyes. It’s not possible, I spoke with myself. Than I came near Egzona. They shot her by a bullet on the forehead. All her face was blood stand. Also, two bullets shot Venhar, one on the head and one in body.

For three days Venhar was going to be 7 years old.

Egzona was 7 years and five months and nine days.

Azra, 1 years old, was killed also. Her tongue was outside the mouth. I found all of them killed, but I didn’t see my father, mother and sister. I thought they took them and sent somewhere. In that moment I lost the conscience and started to cry screaming. Then I run at my aunt who was living near the house of my parents. I called her to see what happened. She came running with me, while I left my son sobbing in the yard.

I forgot that he was with me. Together with my aunt, I went near the killed children. My aunt went to inform the others. I went out in the street and cried as much as I could. Meanwhile there was passing a policemen patrol, which stooped. One of the policemen was Lulëzim from Prizren City. He is gypsy. The other one was Branko, a Serb from Rahovec. I knew them immediately. I told them to come and to see what happened. I entered the house and they came after me with arms in their hands. When we entered home and they saw that horror view, asked if there were other people inside the house. I told them that there are living my father, mother and sister. Come with us to go upstairs, they told me. First I found my father killed (58 years old), then my sister (36 years old), and in the end, my mother (58 years old). My father was shot in mouth and in two-three other places. He was blood-stand. My sister was shot on head. It seems that they beat my mother, broke her teeth and after shot her by a bullet in the mouth. The serbs committed this crime because my parents were famous traders.

They used to work out the gold. They came to rob them and then they killed them.

When the police saw what happened, informed the headquarter. After three hours came 12-13 policemen,

who observed and photographed everything. They asked me if I knew anything about this crime, telling me that was UÇK which killed them. There was the vice-judge Ilija Mojsiq and Branko, who was a wellknown criminal in Rahovec. The crime was committed by silenced arms, in a way that none of the neighbors could hear. No one can tell anything. The crime is committed in the latest hours of the night.

The night NATO started the bombardments, on March 25, 1999; we were inside our homes. Our families left since two - three days before. In the afternoon, time by time, our sons used to observe outside. Meanwhile, my son told us to move, because the village was full of solders, tanks and policemen. We left the house and went near a brook, in the Bellaja’s river. We walked for 10-15 minutes and then stooped, because we didn’t know were to go. We dragged like this till nine o’clock, time when the train passes by in its way to Prizren. We stayed under the train’s bridge, as the place was wide. There were gathered men, women, children and old people. In the way for Gjakova, the police set an ambush and there were concentrated a big number of tanks and vehicles. So, we had no place where to go. Sometimes we used to walk forward and sometimes to turn back. We were around 100 people. The Serbs came near the bridge and shot some volleys, but luckily no one was killed. After the shoots they asked us to give up. They took us from the hill to the fields and separated the women, the children and two or three old men, who were sent in Xërxe. Meanwhile they ordered the others to lay down.

We obeyed. Then they took our documents. First of all they gathered all our money. Then they told us to stand up and to take off the clothes. I was expecting then to shot, but they kept us in that situation for a short time and ordered us to wear the clothes again.

We started to wear up. They entered us in the river and then started to shoot us from all-round. In that moment, I was at the riverside with the sons of my uncle. I fell down in the river. May be I fainted. I can’t remember how they shot them. I remember a detail only. When I was laid down in the river, I used to hear the bullets falling on the surface of the water, around my head and body. The bridge was 15 or 20 meters far. I didn’t move neither legs, nor arms. The water carried me till under the bridge of the train. I remember the moment, when my knees contacted the river’s stones. I hold up my head and saw only a boy from my village, who was resting on the bridge. I asked him who was he. He was the son of Fadil. I told him not to move. Again I sinked my head in the river’s water. When I hold up my head for the second time I saw a policemen going out the river. May be he was the last one. When they climbed the hill, I moved from my place. All in perspiration from the river’s water, I was forced to take off my clothes because they became heavy from the water. I stood up, but I couldn’t stay firm, because I was shivering. After a while all people, who rescued from the death, the wounded ones also, were gathered in the same place. Somebody was wounded on the head, somebody in the body, somebody in the leg. We were around 7-8 persons and stayed there about an hour. I saw all the killed people, across the river and every where. Altogether 36 people. After some time, came there two ladies from Xërxa, forced from the police to live. One of them had two sons killed, Shëndet and Agon and two brothers in low, also.

There was a boy very hard wounded. He was Alban, who passed away in the evening. When the ladies turned back in Xërxa, we dispersed. I left together with Zenel Popaj, who was from our village. We were confused and we didn’t know where to go. We walked up the brook. During the way we saw a dead man. He was Halim Fetushi. We draw him from the river and left him on the grass. When we went further away, we saw other 12 killed people. One of them was killed together with his family. He was my cousin, Gëzim Zhuniqi, with his wife and many others. Only a little boy of two years old remained alive staying over the body of his killed mother. We took him with us, changed his clothes and together with him continued the way. That little boy was Dibran Zhuniqi. When we approached the village we noticed two houses. One of them was burning. We entered at the other house, which was unburned and left there the little boy. Then we entered again in the brook and walked down it. We didn’t know where to go. We came around till the evening. Again we went to the place where was committed the crime. Then we went all in Xërxa, feeling safer there.

I experienced also the massacre committed at the bridge of Bellaja. What witnesses Sefer Zhuniqi is true. I have nothing to add. I can say only something: A bullet wounded me in the right arm. I’m suffering from it till today. Leaving the village, on April 2, I went in Nagafc village and there I’m wounded from the bombs of Serb airplanes.

In that crowd of people were around 25-26 thousand people. During the bombardment were dead 36 persons and I’m injured by 8 wounds.  After I lost my conscience the people took me and sent me in Kukës, Albania.

I was present together with many others in the tragic incident of Bellaja’s bridge.  I have nothing to add. What Sefer Zhuniqi told, it’s faithful. I can witness about it in any time. I was lucky to be saved from the shot’s volleys of Serb police, which killed many innocent people. Two bullets injured me, in the left arm and in the right leg.

Nerxhivane Rexhepi (1962)

We were placed in another house. We were there around 110 persons. The first day, masked solders came and saw us in that basement and they got us out of it.

When they saw that were all children, women, and old people, they told us to continue staying there. We will not disturb you, but don’t disturb us also. So we continued to stay there as before. During the first day my son went in the field together with his father.

The second day I didn’t permit him to go. In fact he liked to stay with us, playing with the other children, his school friends. While we were seating there, around 11 o’clock, somebody informed that the police arrived. I was looking for my son. I found him and I told him to come with me to live the basement, because the police was arriving. He agreed. There was Din Rexhepi, who said that will be better to stay in hidden in the basement. I insisted to live because the police could set fire in the basements. Let’s go

outside said my son. I didn’t dare to let him going outside like that. I tried to wear him my scarf and my skirt, in order not to be distinguished. But my son was feeling embarrassed. He didn’t accept. While I was helping him to wear the shoes, I prayed him not to live the basement. I was afraid for my son. He took me by hand and told me go out. So we walked scared down the street. My son was tall; even he was less than 14 years old. I was afraid that he would be distinguished from the police. So many times I prayed him to drop the head. The Serbs were separating the males in one side. Drop the head I prayed him again. But he didn’t obey. There were many militaries with white binds in uniforms, speaking Serb language. While walking scared in the row of people, one of the militaries noticed my son. Immediately called my son to go at him. He shouted again and then entered in the row of people and tried to carry him away. Although I didn’t let him, my son who understood that might happened the worse, told me: “Mother, live me!”. I saw my son leaving, without hands up, without giving up, not humble. The Serb military lent him in the wall in the other side. So he separated all the males from the people’s row and gave them all a red scarf to bind the eyes. Meanwhile he shouted us to walk and live from there. But we were not moving, insisting to see what was going to happen with our sons. I shouted as I could. When my son saw me in that situation, told me to live. He asked me where were Albert (his brother) and his grandfather, whose Serbs separated from the people’s row also. In a certain time I left him there, deciding to walk together with

the other people. Walking slowly I used to turn back the head time by time to see what was happening with our sons. Then I left the row and entered in an unknown door to stay there and to see if they were going to release them. But they didn’t let us to stop forcing us to walk. Just we arrived behind some houses we heard two automatic gun shoots. I stooped in the street and set down. Stop here, I told the others who were with me.  But they took me and didn’t let me to stay there. They sent me in the mountain and I didn’t see my son. We stayed there for two days. At that time we are informed about what happened, but they didn’t want to inform me that my son was killed. In that group they killed 13 people. All were old people, only my son was 13 years old. With them was his grandfather also. Then they caught us in the mountain and sent us in Albania. All the way I saw the policemean who took my son away and caught us in the mountain. He was walking beside us all the time, till we left for Albania. He wanted to talk with me.

While he was looking at me, I wanted to ask him where he left my son, but my children didn’t permit me to talk. I decided not to talk at all, being afraid of taking me and the other son who was with me.

Continuously, during the way, he used to appear in front of me, not talking, just seeing me maliciously. So, we went in Albania.

On March 25, 1999, the Serbs killed ten members of my family and six ones of my uncle’s family, so altogether 16 members: my father, Miftar Zeqiri (60 years old), my wife, Sebahatja, (30 years old), my brother, Bajram Zeqiri (30 years old), the daughter of Bajram, Albulena (10 years old), the son of Bajram, Alban (5 years old), also another daughter of Bajram, Alma, two years old, then two of my sons, Altin (10 years old) and Bledar (8 years old), the daughter of my uncle, Suzana (21 years old), Elbasanja (19 years old), Nazlia (17 years old), Burbuqja (14 years old), Besarti (11 years old) etc. All the 18 members of my family present that day in home are killed, except my uncle Agim and my son, Valon. My uncle was beaten cruelly. Now he is alive, but in a critical situation. He is obligated to do dialysis.

On March 25, the Serb invaders entered in Celina village massacring the inhabitants. Forecasting this since before, the inhabitants of this village left it and went to hide themselves somewhere. Only our family remained down here. When the police rushed, we were placed in a small valley. The males were separated from the females. I was with the men. Around 3 o’clock the police rushed in our home. They entered in a house and found there Bajram Salihu, who was separated from us before. The police shot him by an automatic gun and killed him. Meanwhile we left in another valley. There we stayed from 3 o’clock up to 8 o’clock. After 8 o’clock we (Bajram Zeqiri, Ahmet Bajrami, Naip Fazlliu and Gëzim Salihu) departed from there and turned back in our home. But we didn’t know if there was anyone.

When we entered inside, we saw that the Serb police was there. Just they saw us shot by arms and we had no way, just to give up. They asked if we had anything in hands. When they ascertained that we were unarmed, they came downstairs walking toward us. They captured all and put us beside a wall. Then started to beat us brutally and I was forced to see them treating in a cruel way, beating with their arms, kicking with boots, catching from the hair, offending, etc. After 40 minutes of brutal torture, they took us behind the wall and shot. They took me and entered in the house.

There I stayed for all the night together with 140 policemen, who used to drink beer, etc. Around 7 o’clock morning, while I was bound by the chair, came a policeman. Offending me he took out his knife saying that was going to slaughter me.

Then a tall policeman released me and told me to go in Xërxa. I went alone. During the way to Xërxa, there was a group of 40 policemen. When they saw me, one of them shot toward my legs to scare me. I gave up. Come here, they told me, talking in Albanian. They asked me who told me to come here around. I told them that the police ordered me. They insulted and beat me. Then, they became ready to shoot me. While one of them wanted to kill me, the other used to say “no, he is just a child”. After such a torture they told me to go in Xërxa. In the middle of the way approached to me a man named Kadri Berisha, who was driving a car. He took me and sent me in Xërxa. From Xërxa I went to Albania. There I heard that they killed all my family

members.

That night when started the NATO’s bombardment, at 3 o’clock in the night, we were surrounded from the Serb police, paramilitaries and militaries. I was in my shop, while my family was in home. Meanwhile my family went over the village at some close relatives. On the morning, around 5-6 o’clock, started the Serbs bombardment. The aim of the attack was the escaping of the population. So we left the homes to hide out in the mountains. Around 14.30 o’clock the infantry, two buses and a truck with policemen, entered the village.

They started to fire the houses from the first to the last. That’s what they did till the evening. Some of us remained in the village to follow the situation.

But after, we retired and jointed our families. During the night the attacks stooped. They didn’t shoot any more. The next day, around the midday, the police captured a person telling him: “Bill Clinton is sending his regards” and “where is NATO now?” etc. The police left and the army came. In this situation we stayed till evening, 5 o’clock. As we remained without food and the children started to cry, we were obligated to move from there. We were around 500-600 persons. During the way the police appeared in front of us. One of my cousins, who was professor, went to talk with them, but they ordered us to be placed in two rows. With me was my son, three years old.  When they saw me, they ordered to give my son to my wife. I couldn’t do anything. I gave her the son. Then they started to control us one by one. They separated the males from the females. But for them was not enough.

They arranged the males in-groups. I was thinking that they were going to prison us. They ordered the women to go at the cows’ farms. Just an old lady was with them, no one else. They didn’t permit us to move. I heard them, when they ordered that a group of people to be sent at the mosque. But a policeman told me to stop.

After they separated another group and sent me there. We were 18 persons. They took us and sent 100 meters down the cemetery of gypsies, in a row of vineyard All went down in the vineyard’s row, but I stooped in the field helping one of my cousins who was sick. Then they ordered us to go down there. In that moment my cousin set down and the blanket by which he covered his body fell down. I was trying to cover him again.

When I turned back the head, I saw that the policemen were just 5 meters from us. Behind us they started a volley of shots by automatic guns. When I heard the shots I jumped in the vineyard. During my jump a bullet shot me in the left side, but I didn’t stop at all, continuing to run through the vineyard as much as I could. While running I heard and two other shots, each one by one bullet only. I don’t know if they shot me or the group in the vineyard’s row. So I went till near the village at some cousins of my uncles. They gave me the first aid. They hide me in the sheep’s stable. All the night I stayed there. The next day I remained alone. From there I observed all police

movements. They did in the village what they could. On Sunday a group of policemen entered inside, but they didn’t notice me. When they left, I went in Nagafc village. Then we left to Albania.  When we turned back from Albania, we found there only a cadaver, but not the others. They disappeared them. From that group, only I was saved. The others were killed and no one knows where are their cadavers. In “Krushë e Madhe “ village are killed 207 people.

On March 25, in “Krusha e Vogel” rushed big motorized Serb units. They came from Prizren and blocked the way making impossible the movement on that direction. When we saw that the way was blocked, we went in the mountains. They followed us. For all the day in the mountain they bombed us from all sides. This continued till the evening. Some stayed there and some went in the house of Sejdi Batufa. Next day, early in the morning, when started the bombardment and the burning of the village, which was surrounded, all the people remained blocked there. Then the Serbs took the people remained in the mountain and brought them in village.

After some time they put us in the street. They told all the women to live for Albania and kept there all the men, ordering them to stay with the hand bounded behind the head. They robbed all our documents and wallets and all what we had with us. They kept us there for one hour and sent us in a two-room house.

Altogether we were 112 persons. They entered us inside and after a short time started to shot by automatic guns. I was in front of the wall and fell down immediately. Over me fell a man with one arm cut, whose name was Muharrem Asllani. Then another one. His mouth was bleeding. With all those people over me, I was completely covered by blood. Shooting in all the directions of that narrow house they laid down all the people. Once, one of them, Shefqet Shehu, holds up his head and told to one of the policemen: ”You, my neighbor did this!” Immediately they killed him. When they thought that all were dead, took from the yard some canes and covered with them the people and lighted the fire. Shefqet knew the policeman, who was a Serb of our village. There were many other Serb policemen inhabitants of “Krusha e Vogël” village. I knew them very well. They were: Dimitrje Nikoliq, Sava Nikoliq, Cveta Tasiq, Zvezdan Nikoliq, Momcillo Nikoliq, Gjorgji Petkokiq, etc. I saw all of them with my eyes. All were wearing police uniforms and had arms in their hands. They shot to kill all the people, but from 112 people, only 6 of them were saved. All the time I was conscious and observed all the policemen acts. I heard various terrible screams a shouts. I stayed laid down till the shots and the people’s shouts stooped. Then I saw the policemen covering us with canes and lighted the fire. When the smoke came down, was very difficult to breathe. First I was breathing through the layer of blood, which covered my face, but after that, the layer of blood got dry and I couldn’t breath any more. So I decided to stand up thinking better to die from the bullets, than to be burned by the fire. I moved slowly. Fortunately near me was a window. I observed outside carefully. When I was convinced that there were not policemen outside, I went out through the window end entered immediately in the basement of another house, which was near. It was the house of my uncle. I stayed there till in the late evening, observing all the movements of the policemen.

There I saw the Serbs of our village gathering canes as much as they could to cover the cadavers, which continued burning till early morning. After they came in the yard of my uncle and took his car. They came three times around the brook to check if there was anyone. When I saw that the policemen left, I went out from there and went in the mountain. There I stayed two days an after went in Nagafc village. There I became witness of another crime. It was April 2, Friday, 14.05 o’clock, the Serb airplanes bombed. It was terrible to see the bombardment of the unarmed people. There I saw people with many kinds of wounds.

With my eyes I saw a man with a cut leg. I couldn’t bear anymore. After they put me on a track. During the way they asked me who was the commandant of Krusha village and many other questions. After one hour they released me and through the pass of Morina I went in Albania.

That day we were gathered in the room of Sadik Xhema. The police came and surrounded the village. They entered also in the house where we were staying. They put us outside and beat us as much as they could. They beat me on the head. Till today I have the signs of the wound and it still hurts me. Despite of the terrible tortures, we didn’t give up. They used to catch the people from their neck and offending them in Albanian language. They were masked. Then they put us off from there and ordered us to go up at the hill, over the village. Go, there is waiting for you Ibrahim Rugova - said one of them. You are the parents and the sons of irridentists blamed us furiously. Near us were around 50 people together with some children. They separated the children from the group and asked for somebody who could speak in Serbian. He talked with somebody who was with us. He asked him the number of the people present there. The other one answered: “50 persons”. In that moment I thought that were sending us in the police headquarters. But when he directed us toward the hill, offending Ibrahim Rugova and us, we started to doubt. Three persons, Nefail Mehdiu, Lute Hasani, Sadik Xhema (professor), were exhausted from the tortures done since we were down in the village.

They couldn’t walk at all. Nevertheless they continued the way. They were losing blood. The others were all beaten, but not like them. There the way is narrow and we walked one after another. We were 30 persons. With us were Bilal Sadriu and Ali Qazimi. In that moment I noticed that in the three sides there were Serb policemen with helmets. As I had my son with me I told him to walk behind me keeping him by his arm. I fell down. In that moment started the shot from all sides.

I dragged seven meters entering my head under some free roots. They shot so much the crowd of people than the arms’ barrels was so heated and couldn’t send very far the bullets. A bullet shot my son in the eye and he fell down. There I stayed for 7-8 minutes. In a certain moment rustled the whistle and the policemen retired. Nevertheless the people fell down, some of them were still alive. So they shot for the second time by automatic guns and massacred them by knifes.

Then I went at the cadavers to see what happened. In that place I found 24 killed people. They were all covered by blood. I couldn’t distinguish the cadavers from each other because they were very damaged. This happened in the “Hill of Bebush”. That night I went in the mountain. Next day I came down and saw Uoker who heard about the story. Together we went at the place of the massacre.  He asked everything about the dead people. The massacre was committed by the Serbs of this region, not by the Serbs of Belgrade. Three hours before the massacre, Ragip Tahiri was with us in the

stable, but he didn’t stay and went outside. They shot him somewhere near the place of the massacre.

When I approached the cadavers I found Ragip Tahiri 200 meters far.  He was terribly massacred. His heart was outside the body, because they cuted him everywhere.

Early in the morning I was in home. When we woke up together with my son, we went to hide ourselves at the home of my brother. At that time started the war. The infantry came from all the sides. At our home came three neighbors and another one a little bit later. I told them to stay there while I wanted to go at the other neighbor to see if they woke up or not. I found them hidden in the stable.  When they saw me asked what we are going to do. But was difficult to take decisions while we were surrounded. At that moment came my son. While he was entering one of legs inside the stable the Serbs shot him in his leg. So they wounded my son, Hamdi Abdiu. We left from one yard to another and went to Xheme Nebiu’s house, where were hidden around 30 people. We hide ourselves in the stable hearing shots from all sides. In one side were shooting the armored cars and the cannons, from the hill and from the other side was shooting the infantry, which entered in the village. The infantry entered in all houses, till arrived in the house where we were hidden and around the midday, 12 o’clock, captured us all. They were around 30 masked policemen.

They put us off the stable and laid down all. They checked us and took all our personal documents. Then started to beat us cruelly. Then they told us to stand up. They ordered us to go up toward the hill one by one, threating that if any one were trying to escape, would be killed. When we arrived there we set in a row. There we found other policemen. When they saw us, they moved from their place. I was the last. An old man was seating beside a fence and he was powerless to move. Behind me were Ramë Shabani, Nusret Shabani, and Ymer Gashi. When the police saw them offended and called them terrorists. They shot them and one by one they fell down. Those three, Rama, Ymer and Nusret jumped over the fence. Because of the bullets, I lost the orientation and remained in the middle of the street. A bullet shot me in the coat and I fell down.

Ten meters away I saw the son of Ymer. I stayed laid down for 5 hours with the cadavers without moving till the dark came. When the dark fell down I stood up and started to see 7-8 cadavers. Then I didn’t know what happened, I fainted.

In my home, later, came Rama. When he saw me he called me by name and caught me from my shoulders. I got scared thinking that the police came.

He told me not to be afraid that was not the police. He asked me if I was wounded and I answered No. As he saw me falling down, he thought that any bullet shot me. He told me to stay there, while he was going to see at the hill if was anyone. I couldn’t stand up.

When I tried to stand up I fell down. After I dragged and went toward him, one of my relatives, Mehdi Halimi was with all his family in the yard. When the people of OCSE came, and I saw the car headlights, I thought that the police came again. So all we went in the mountain. There we made a fire and stayed till next day ten o’clock. Then we came down. When we entered the village I saw Uoker. He was entering in the house of Bajram Cakoli. The translator told him about me.

Because of the shock I was not able to talk about the massacre. So I turned home.

The police took my son, 16 years old, beat him, and sent him at the women. They didn’t notice that he was wounded. Uoker told us to go in the mountain because the police decided to enter in Reçak village with all the forces and to take the cadavers. Then we left. The cadavers were very damaged. They were shot by bullets and cut by knifes. To Ragip Bajrami they took out his heart. They captured him and cut him while he was alive. To somebody they cut the ears, somebody else was slaughtered, somebody else was robbed, etc.