Prishtina, 12 May 2025
Under the organization of the Institute for Crimes Committed During the War in cooperation with the National Library of Kosovo “Pjetër Bogdani”, as part of the public forum series of this institute, “Za n’kujtesë”, a discussion forum was held today on the topic “Albanian soldiers killed in the Yugoslav Army”, which was attended by the caretaker Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti.
“We have come together here today at the National Library, at this discussion forum on Albanian soldiers killed in the Yugoslav Army. This proves that state institutions and our society do not forget any category of crimes committed by Serbia against Albanians, nor any period of history that has brought us to where we are today. The killing of young Albanian men in the Yugoslav Army while they were serving their mandatory military service is a completely unique chapter of crimes committed by Yugoslavia, particularly by Serbia, against Albanians”, said Prime Minister Kurti at the beginning of his address.
He mentioned the first case of the killing of an Albanian soldier in the Yugoslav army, which occurred in July 1951, in a military barracks in Vishegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Yugoslav military authorities killed Ramadan Xhelil Gashi after they failed to convince him to enlist in the military intelligence service. Ramadan Gashi was originally from the village of Verboc of Drenas, and he was only 20 years old when he was killed. 74 years have passed since then, but to this day, the Gashi family has not received Ramadan’s body, nor have they received any explanation regarding the circumstances of his death.
During his speech, the Prime Minister also highlighted other cases of killings of Albanian soldiers in the Yugoslav army from 1951 to 1993, during which at least 135 Albanian soldiers were killed. Among them were Idriz Krasniqi from Zhilivoda of Vushtrri; Halil Hajrullahu from Banulla of Lipjan; Shefqet Jashari from Prekaz of Skenderaj; Yzeir Sadiku from Rahovica of Presheva; Enver Elezi from Skopje; Beqir Sahiti from Stublla of Vitia; Malik Azizi from Korita of Gostivar; Rexhep Blakaj from Jabllanica of Peja; Fadil Gashi from Doberdol of Podujeva; Besim Fazliu from Prishtina; Sherif Kashtanjeva from Nerodimje of Ferizaj; Vesel Duraku from Demjan of Gjakova; Haki Morina from Gllareva of Klina; Elmi Popaj from Bellacerka of Rahovec; Enver Aliaj from Sallagrazhda of Suhareka; and many, many others.
“These are just some of the names of the soldiers who were killed, whom I mentioned to show that the institutions of Kosovo and our society recognize them by their name and surname, not just as a number, and acknowledge their stories and cases. These will be preserved in both the history of Kosovo and in the files of crimes committed by the Serbian state against Albanians, for which justice will be sought”, said the Prime Minister.
As part of today’s discussion, some family members of the killed soldiers were also present, sharing the stories of the cases they have experienced.
Full speech of Prime Minister Kurti:
Honourable Director of the Institute for War Crimes Committed in Kosovo, Mr. Atdhe Hetemi,
Honourable Rector of the University of Prishtina, Professor Arben Hajrullahu,
Honourable Director of the National Library of Kosovo, Ms. Blerina Rogova Gaxha,
Honourable Mr. Riza Xhakli, former political prisoner,
Honorable Mr. Gani Morina, representative of the Council of Families of Soldiers Killed in the Yugoslav Army,
Honourable Mr. Cen Desku, representative of the family of Jetullah Desku,
Unfortunately, due to health reasons, Mihane Krasniqi, the mother of the killed soldier Abedin Krasniqi, has not been able to join us today,
Honourable Ambassador of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Petrit Malaj,
Dear family members of soldiers killed in the Yugoslav Army,
Dear invalids and veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army,
Representatives and leaders of state institutions,
Dear professors and academics,
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have come together here today at the National Library, at this discussion forum on Albanian soldiers killed in the Yugoslav Army. This proves that state institutions and our society do not forget any category of crimes committed by Serbia against Albanians, nor any period of history that has brought us to where we are today.
The killing of young Albanian men in the Yugoslav Army while they were serving their mandatory military service is a completely unique chapter of crimes committed by Yugoslavia, particularly by Serbia, against Albanians. This history spans a period of over 40 years, beginning in 1951, when the first two such killings occurred.
The first case of the killing of an Albanian soldier in the Yugoslav army took place in July 1951, in a military barracks in Vishegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina. There, after failing to convince him to join the military intelligence service, the Yugoslav military authorities killed Ramadan Xhelil Gashi. Originally from the village of Vërboc of Drenas, Ramadan Gashi was only 20 years old at the time he was killed. 74 years have passed since then, but to this day, the Gashi family has not received Ramadan’s body, nor have they received any explanation regarding the circumstances of his death.
In the same year, 1951, again in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but this time in the barracks of Bihac, 22-year-old Ibrahim Emini was killed. His parents, his father Emin and mother Nazife, from the village of Gllamnik of Podujeva, were never handed over their son’s body, nor given any official explanation as to how he was killed.
The killings of Albanian soldiers continued throughout the ‘60s and up until the late ‘70s, during which a total of 16 Albanian soldiers were killed. Following the 1981 demonstrations, as part of Yugoslavia’s repressive policies against Albanians, the killing of Albanian soldiers during military service became one of the forms of state terror. Thus, in 1981 alone, seven were killed, while in the following year 1982, another ten Albanian soldiers were killed.
From 1981 until 1993, Albanian soldiers continued to be killed year after yea: sometimes four were killed, as in 1983, ‘84, ‘86 and ‘88, and sometimes more, as in 1987 when 12 Albanian soldiers were killed. The highest number of Albanians killed in the Yugoslav army occurred in 1991, a year in which a total of 49 Albanian soldiers were killed. In total, from 1951 to 1993, at least 135 Albanian soldiers were killed in the Yugoslav Army.
Among them were Idriz Krasniqi from Zhilivoda of Vushtrri; Halil Hajrullahu from Banulla of Lipjan; Shefqet Jashari from Prekaz of Skenderaj; Yzeir Sadiku from Rahovica of Presheva; Enver Elezi from Skopje; Beqir Sahiti from Stublla of Vitia; Malik Azizi from Korita of Gostivar; Rexhep Blakaj from Jabllanica of Peja; Fadil Gashi from Doberdol of Podujeva; Besim Fazliu from Prishtina; Sherif Kashtanjeva from Nerodimje of Ferizaj; Vesel Duraku from Demjan of Gjakova; Haki Morina from Gllareva of Klina; Elmi Popaj from Bellacerka of Rahovec; Enver Aliaj from Sallagrazhda of Suhareka; and many, many others.
These are just some of the names of the soldiers who were killed, whom I mentioned to show that the institutions of Kosovo and our society recognize them by their name and surname, not just as a number, and acknowledge their stories and cases. These will be preserved in both the history of Kosovo and in the files of crimes committed by the Serbian state against Albanians, for which justice will be sought.
Today, we will also be discussing specific cases, such as the case of Jetullah Desku from Siçeva of Klina. Therefore, I would also like to highlight another specific case. On 1 February 1990, the Serbian military officer Lubisha Vishnjevac from Peja killed a young man named Fadil Talla in Podujeva. In an attempt to escape punishment for this act, he sought help from the Albanian captain Hamit Haxhiu, who refused and demanded that he reveal who had ordered him to do it. Following this, the military court sentenced Lubisha Vishnjevac to eight years in prison. In June 1990, when Hamit Haxhiu went to the kitchen of the barracks to drink some water, he was given a poisoned beer, which severely poisoned him. After three weeks in the hospital, Hamit Haxhiu died on 11 July 1990.
There are over 135 such cases with stories like these, some of which we will hear today in this forum. But beyond that, all of these cases, each and every one of them, will be investigated, documented and have a case file at the Institute for War Crimes Committed in Kosovo. This is one of the reasons why we established this institute.
May the memory of the Albanian soldiers killed in the Yugoslav army be eternal.
Justice will be sought for them and they will live on in history!
Thank you.
Last modified: May 15, 2025