By Kastriot Dervishi
Memorie.al / The first sheet of murders at the border in 1990 is opened by the bitter event that happened in Cologne, at the Rehova post office, so rumored for participation in these crimes. According to the communication no. 28, dated 3. 2. 1990 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on 2. 2. 1990, around 24.00, the service unit of the Rehovo border post, in the region of pyramid 6, square 6776, “fell in an attempt” (untrue in fact), with 3 trespassers from the inside out. As a result of the unit’s fire, Ilirian Ismail Zari, aged 30, was killed. Spied by a villager in the area, at 05:00 on 3. 2. 1990, Agim Ismail Zari, Iliri’s brother, was captured. The search continued for the capture of the third Ylli Qemal Keti, originally from Kolonjë, living in Tirana, married to the sister of the two Zari brothers, who was not found guilty and arrested.
Ilir’s corpse was secretly buried in the village of Mesiçkë, in the middle of a forest. She was exhumed by her relatives on September 3, 1991. Soldiers also testified about this event. Their language that appears in the expression; “Where will you come, you masked man,” is typical of a blind and highly indoctrinated hatred, such as the border soldiers of that time generally were. A part of their testimonies is presented below and together with this event; in this article we are publishing two more stories of murders at the border in 1990.
Testimony of soldier Alban, born on 17.5.1970, in Laç, with 10th grade school:
“We arrived at the place of service around 6:30 p.m. Around midnight, I saw 3 people coming to cross the border into Greece. When they had approached about 50 meters, I gave the signal to the head of the unit, to cross the border. Astrit saw them and went up to block the boundary line. When he crossed to block the boundary line, I sat a little lower.
At this time, Astriti made their stop. He who was first said; “Don’t shoot because we are also armed”, while the other two who were behind him, moved away from him a little, being positioned next to him. At this time, the one who was first had to leave as well.
At this moment, we both shot at him. Since we hit him, he fell down and said: “Oh, you killed me.” When they heard the crack of our machine guns, they both ran down. Astritus followed them. I saw the person we had shot, who was dead.
After making sure he was dead, I blocked the border to prevent the two of them from crossing. I can say that the one we killed was the first and the other two were behind him, about 3-4 meters away from each other. After a while, another unit came for help.”
Testimony of soldier Astriti, born 4. 2. 1969 in Ballsh, with 8 years of education:
“At 18.30, we went to the place which was close to the border line and settled in the service place. I was in charge of the unit. I organized the service according to the regulations given to me by the post commander. At 24.00 the member of the Albani unit had seen 3 people who were trying to cross the border.
He signaled to me according to the signals we have. I just received the signal from him, I saw 3 people who were crossing from inside – out of the country to Greece. I got up, carefully went out from above to block their way so that they wouldn’t cross the border. Passing over, I stepped on the ice and fell. When I fell, the automatic comb came out.
I immediately put on the other comb and made the stop. I told them: “Stop don’t move, you are surrounded.” I called on my friends to catch them. When I stopped them, one of them who was closest to me said: “Don’t be a soldier, because we are armed.” He had to leave downstairs. I told him again: “Don’t move because I killed you.” He started to run downstairs and said to his friends: “Hey you, what are you doing with the weapon”.
At this time, I also said to the unit member Albani, “fire” and I myself shot in his direction. We hit him and he fell, saying: “O soldier, you killed me.” As soon as he fell to the ground, the other two fled in the direction of the village of Starje. I told Alban; “Come out quickly from above, so that it does not cross the border” and at the same time, I said to them; “Stop, where are you coming from, you masquerades” and I followed them, shooting them with automatic rifles.
I followed those about 1k cards down although they ran away and I couldn’t see them. I want to add that when I saw them, the three of them were one behind the other. The first one was the one we killed. They seemed long to me, all three. At the place where the one we killed fell, I left the damaged cartridge comb. After I followed them, as I said above, I returned to the murdered bandit and saw that he was dead.”
The border murder of the 18-year-old in 1990 and the killers’ testimonies
Sokol Lika, was a student at the Geological High School of Korça. After a fight at school, together with his friend Besim Qose, they decided to escape to the border post sector of Starje, in the district of Kolonje. Sokoli had people in Istanbul, while Besimi in Australia and a friend in Brazil.
After buying a bottle of fërnet, a jar of jam, two compotes, bread and meatballs, with a car loaded with onions, they travel towards Erseka. In the village of Starje, Sokoli was killed on May 23, 1990, while Besimi was arrested. After a few months, Besimi was sentenced to 8 months in prison, based on Article 127 of the Criminal Code.
The testimony of Besim Qose, Sokol’s friend:
“The falcon was next to me. I did not see him when the soldiers approached. I told the soldiers not to shoot, because I was there and raised my hands. Then the soldiers lifted me up. There I saw that Sokol was lying down. From the soldiers, I heard them say that “one was killed”. The time must have been around 22 – 23.00″.
Testimony of soldier Blerim Allhidri, from Rrajca:
“I was with the soldier Illyrian Luto. We settled according to the regulations, in the designated place. I took a position and stopped the offender. I told you: “Stop, don’t move, you are surrounded, surrender.” Both offenders lay on the ground and at this time, I fired my gun. Likewise, my friend, Ilirjan Lato, shot at them.
I sounded the alarm at the post office. We took position and kept shooting. The trespassers lost us, because it was dark, and the fog fell. We stayed in the jam and shot one by one, until help came from the border post, around 21.00 – 21.30. The first came, the soldier Kastriot Çela with Altin Broçin. After these, the other friends came. The place where the border violators were was surrounded. We were approaching them by shooting.”
Testimony of soldier Ilirjan Lato:
“We hurried to occupy the line, because they were very close to it, about 200 meters.After blocking the boundary line, we let them both approach. When they approached about 50 meters, Blerimi stopped. They stopped and at this time, I told them to stop, that I would shoot them. They were studying, to escape. The purchase made a shot in the air. They lay down on the boat. At that moment, I fired at them in bursts.
The purchase moved to the other wing and took a place above. He started shooting, so that I could get closer. They did not move, but lay down. At this time, a fog fell. We stood on the lookout, to see from the south, that they were not visible through the darkness and fog. The buyer asked me if I heard anything from where they came from. I told him that; they haven’t passed. He told me that; they have not passed by me. I told Blerim that they entered the bunker that they were close by.
To scare them, I called names in vain, so that they came up and down. We kept shooting at them. At this time, friends from the post office came to help. Friends also shot at them. We cast beacons, but saw nothing. We stopped the fire, for fear of killing each other. The friends searched the bunker, but found nothing. We got up and were talking. At that moment, one of the comrades who came to help fired a volley.
We approached in a circle. We stopped the fire and surrounded it, so that no noise could be heard. With electricity, we saw a sandal sleeper, which had the direction to the depth of our land; we immediately got into positions and stood in silence. The offenders thought we ran away and started moving. Kastriot Çela heard a rock fall. He said; follow me, there they are. Our unit came from below and was firing.
The offenders remained silent, but we did not see anything. Kastriot saw them leaning against a rock. He called a friend and they moved from the place. Limoz, shot at them and killed one of them. The other one shouted: “Don’t shoot, soldier uncle.” We ceased fire and approached the one who was alive. He didn’t move at all. We caught him and tied him up. He was crying.”
A letter in the pocket of someone killed at the border, in 1990
Sami Daja killed and the letter with the address found in his pocket On 25.5.1990, around 24:00, about 200 meters from the border, in the sector of the Rehovo border post in the district of Kolonja, composed of soldiers Dod Kapsori and Xhelal Elezi, killed Sami Daja, a technologist at the Elbasan Metallurgical Plant and arrested his friend, Mezan, who is sentenced to 4 years in prison.
The medical expert determined that the death of Sami Daja was caused by five serious wounds. Mezan, who was from Beijing, had traveled to that border country, as he knew the terrain well, because he had served in the army there. For this reason, he traveled together with his aunt’s son, Sami Daja, who also had an address in Greece.
They both traveled first by car and then by train, from Beijing to Gurin e Kuq in Pogradec. From there, they took the bus to Erseke, a city where they arrived around 5:30 p.m. In the restaurant of this city, they had dinner. Around 21.00, they bought another bottle of vodka and headed towards the border. In his pocket, Sami found the address where he was going.
Testimony of the soldier, Dod Pal Kapsori:
“Around 24.00, in our direction from the border line, two people were approaching, who could not be clearly distinguished from the darkness. It was a moonless night. We remembered that the comrades of the command were coming, for help and control, because they were coming from the way we are coming, in the decision of the service.
When they approached about 15-20 meters, soldier Xh.E., asked for their slogan and stopped them. They both turned back, walking on the member’s side, that is, on our left side. Soldier Xh.E. shot in the air once. When he saw that they did not stop, we both charged towards them, with volleys. We saw that one fell to the ground, while the other ran away and disappeared into the darkness.
I dropped the beacon packet, but with all that, we still didn’t see it. Then we blocked the border, along with other units that came to us. When we killed him, we approached to see if he was alive. He was dead and had thrown his jacket on the ground. When we shot, he said: “Don’t shoot because you killed me.”
Testimony of the soldier, Xhelal Elezi;
“Around 24.00, we noticed that in our direction, two people were coming from below – above, in the direction of the border with Greece. I saw them on the horizon, it was a moonless night. I remembered that it was not the control, that they were coming from the service road. I immediately signaled the person in charge and we positioned ourselves to make the stop. After they approached in my direction, about 15 meters, I recognized that they were civilians.
I told them to stop and say the slogan and at the same time, one knelt down, the other ran away. I fired once into the air with a cartridge, saying; don’t move, because I will shoot them. The one who was on his knees tried to leave, in that direction. At this moment, my friend and I opened fire together, with volleys.
We saw that the person lay on the ground, saying: “You killed me, soldier.” The head of the unit moved to the other side and dropped the signal pistol. I opened fire, even at the person who ran away. Together with the person in charge, we followed him back, shooting in bursts…! In the morning I found out that the other one had been caught by the Gjonci post office. Memorie.al
