Prishtina, 2 November 2025
The Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with the Speaker of the Assembly, Dimal Basha, the Acting Deputy Prime Minister, Donika Gërvalla, Members of Parliament, and colleagues, paid tribute on the 36th anniversary of the fall of martyrs Afrim Zhitia and Fahri Fazliu, at the Cemetery of Martyrs in the Velania neighborhood of Prishtina.
He said that their heroic fall awakened national consciousness to new heights and raised international awareness that Kosovo is home to a people who do not submit and who will resist until they achieve their freedom.
“It is remarkable how the heroic fall of Afrim and Fahri so closely resembles that of Rexhep Mala and Nuhi Berisha, five years earlier. Fahri and Afrim in Bregu i Diellit, while Rexhep and Nuhi in Kodra e Trimave. Both pairs fought to the very end. On 2 November 1989, in Block III, Entrance III, where they had their underground base, Fahri and Afrim fought for more than six hours — a testament to what determined and unyielding fighters they were,” said Prime Minister Kurti.
Prime Minister Kurti further emphasized that the life, work, and heroic fall of Afrim and Fahri — and the social and political context surrounding it — should be studied more deeply by historians, sociologists, and scholars in Kosovo, because the freedom of future generations depends on how well we learn and internalize the lives and deeds of those who gave everything for the liberty of the Albanian people.
Glory to Afrim and Fahri, and to all the martyrs of our nation!
Full Speech by Prime Minister Kurti:
Thirty-six years ago, in direct confrontation with the occupying forces of Yugoslavia and Serbia, Fahri Fazliu and Afrim Zhitia fell heroically. Both were very young, yet remarkably mature — Fahri was 26 years old, while Afrim was 24.
Their fall awakened national consciousness to high levels and at the same time raised international awareness that in Kosovo there exists a people who do not submit and who will resist until they achieve freedom for themselves.
It is truly remarkable how the heroic fall of Afrim and Fahri so closely resembles that of Rexhep Mala and Nuhi Berisha, five years earlier. Fahri and Afrim in Bregu i Diellit, and Rexhep and Nuhi in Kodra e Trimave. Both fought to the very end. On 2 November 1989, in Block III, Entrance III, where they had their underground base, Fahri and Afrim fought for more than six hours — showing what tireless and fearless fighters they were. Naturally, they had great examples to learn from — all those heroes, martyrs, and fighters of our national awakening, from Rexhep Mala and Nuhi Berisha before them, to the heroes and martyrs who followed — from Zahir Pajaziti and Ilir Konushevci to the glorious war of the Kosovo Liberation Army, with over 2,000 martyrs of the nation.
There is a need for the life, work, fall, and the socio-political context of the heroic sacrifice of Afrim and Fahri to be studied even more by historians, sociologists, and scholars in Kosovo, because the freedom of future generations depends on how well we understand and embody the lives and deeds of those who gave everything for the freedom of the Albanian people.
Glory to Afrim and Fahri, and to all the martyrs of our nation!
