27 years from the Massacre of Studies, family members of those killed confess horrors require justice

Today it has been 27 years since the Massacre of Studies in Vushtrri, where 116 Albanian civilians were killed.

A Memorial Academy is organized, attended by family, citizens, and heads of institutions.

Family members of those killed have sought justice for the crimes the Serbian state has committed against residents of Studies.

Elhame Xhafa commemorates May 2, 1999, as a terrible night when Serb soldiers and police officers were surrounded in the evening and her husband and brother were killed.

On May 2nd, at 10: 00 p.m., we've been surrounded here all over, missed, beat us, killed my husband, killed my brother. Last night on the mountain three days without an inhalor and drink”, Elhame Xhafa said.

Sami Grxhaliu, brother of witness Fatmir Grxhaliu, has criticised the institutions, which he said should do much rather than exploit these events for votes.

There's still no one, no convict to date for this massacre. So I pray that institutions give little importance to this job. So far, when it comes to coming for votes, we see them here. When you do, absolutely no one handles it. Yes, there are witnesses, many witnesses. They have issued statements but there is nothing yet for this work”, Gerjaliu said.

Bahrije Gerjaliu, witness wife Imer Gerjaliu, shows that she was with her husband when the same man was killed by Serb forces. In addition, Bahriye has been killed by her brother - in - law and her uncle's son.

“Although 27 years have passed, the pain for us is as fresh as that day. This is where I lost my husband, Imer Gerjaliu, brother-in-law Skender Gerjaliu, I lost my husband's relatives and uncle's son, Ishmael Cocova. I've been present with my husband even when he was killed, and he's been wounded two and a half hours. This crime has been organized on April 16, which has blocked us from the village of Low Studies, and has even attracted us to scale into Upper Studies. Here we have stayed until the night of May 2nd, on the night of May 2nd, since the day of Shala the population has already flooded the village of Cecery, Studies, here has been a formidable population even with the fall of the twilight they have already arrived, they have been planning this genocide. It's very heavy when they leave you with five children, the oldest 11 and a half years and a half years and six months, that they haven't even chosen a child for two years and six months have taken it from my lap and committed a crime”, Gerjaliu said.

She said the main burden they carry as a family is that no one has been brought to justice for these crimes, even though she says he himself has testified to them.

Even today 27 years later, what's the hardest burden for us as family, is that no one has yet been brought to justice, not sitting in the dock for these crimes. Perhaps it is the largest massacre in Kosovo that has occurred. Within two hours 116 unarmed, defenseless civilians were killed because they were Albanians. All have been with their families, all of whom have been of an age where perhaps the oldest is 50 years, 50 years and downs, all young men, educated boys. This has been planned by Serbian barbarity”, Bahrije Gerjaliu said.