Shooting the mother of four Syria-turned children in Kosovo

Since the beginning of the war in Syria, hundreds of Kosovo Albanians, including women and children, had gone there, initially joining opposition groups that fought against the government of the Syrian president, Bashar Al Assad, and then extreme groups as Islamic State. After the fall of this group, in the spring of this year authorities returned 110 people to Kosovo, among which 32 women. Next, we invite you to follow the confession of one of the women back there. For security reasons, the Voice of America will identify him as Leonora, not her real name.

Leonora, whose real name is known for editing, years ago says she has agreed with her husband to leave Kosovo to live in another country. But until the last moments, she says she had not known that her husband was sending her to Syria.

I didn't agree because there was danger, it was a war zone and I didn't agree to go. But everything was complicated because he (her husband) did not make it clear that we are going to Syria. From here we actually left for another country in which I agreed to go together, but at the last moment after we arrived in Turkey he decided we would go there (to Syria)”,She says.

Once there, Leonora remains with other women of Albanians who had gone from Kosovo to join the war in Syria. During that period, she says that she only met her husband during his visits. After two years her husband had been killed in the war.

After two and a half years began to change, we were sometimes left homeless, and two or three families lived in one house, each from one room. Our payments were coming down from day to day, and at the end of last year, it was the worst in recent months, it was terrible. We didn't have enough food, because the boundaries and foods that brought us were scarce, so people started fighting for food, it was really hard most of the time but we were still surviving hoping for a better life”, She says.

Leonora says that her life has been very difficult after losing her husband.

When you think about it today, do you find it pointless, so do you think you've endured and suffered without reason? I don't think so. You don't think so? There were lots of women there, lots of people, and they all had their reasons for going. Some have gone because they wanted to live in a place that works with Sheriat, some have gone because of their husbands, some looking for a better life because they promised to give you a house, money, and maybe a car, and maybe you'd live a non-fat but normal life, some didn't know where they're just going, so it made sense there was something... ”, She says.

Leonora, a mother of four, is part of the 110-strong group Kosovo authorities returned in April of this year from Syria.

We didn't think we'd ever come back, for us everything was over we thought we'd be there all our life, we'd die there, so we were so happy to be back because since we went to the camps it was terrible, life was very, very difficult. We didn't have hope because there were people from all states in the camp, we were thinking that if we could catch Germany or England or the strong states aren't taking their people, how could Kosovo take us when it's a weaker state. Then they told us that Kosovo is looking for you and it was like we were born again”, Says Leonora.

Glad she has returned home, she says she feels the prejudice people have toward her.

And we're now under house arrest, and I don't really feel like going out much, I'm happy with them and they're with me, and everything's fine with me, but when I go out and get him to the doctor, I notice people's reaction because I care to see how they react when they see us. It's normal and I understand that they look at us like they want to tell us what this is?She says.

Because of prejudices, she says, Leonora refused to speak Albanian in an interview.

Maybe because I know the mentality in Kosovo, and when I speak English I feel like I'm not who I am, as if someone else talks in my country represents me, I don't like it in Albanian, even though I don't know who I am, and the reason I've agreed to do this interview is to tell people that we're normal people, we're not only dangerous enough to accept us as we are and help the others that still remain there. She says.

Leonora calls for all states to send back their people from Syria, since her life there continues to be terrible.

What I call on is for other countries like Albania, Macedonia and all other things, especially our neighbours, to go get their people because they are really suffering. We have some problems that we're back on, we need to integrate, but we're walking and we're fine, while people there still suffer and live horrible lives”, She says.

Leonora, along with 31 other women who returned to Kosovo in April, is under investigation. At the beginning of this month, a court in Pristina sentenced one of them to two and a half years of parole removal for criminal work “organising and participating in the terrorist group”, but it would not serve the penalty if within three years no criminal activity is involved.

Even further in conflict areas, according to data provided by Kosovo police, there are 30 fighters, 49 women and eight children.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, about 400 Kosovo citizens are believed to be involved in the Middle East conflicts. Over 70 people have lost their lives as hundreds have returned from there for years, largely disappointed with what they faced. Over 50 people have so far been convicted of involvement in wars in the Middle East inciting and recruiting warriors.