Deli Hyseni’s message is not to forget the Llashtica massacre because the testimonies are fresh

Gjilan (2018) – Deli Hyseni is one of the leading witnesses who has seen and experienced almost the entire massacre of Llashtica. In his exclusive story about Rajonipress, Deli Hyseni shows interesting details, revealing all the massacre that Serbs did in this village. Deli saw his family as they were killed in front of him, he also saw how the Serbs burned his family members alive in his presence and in the end they covered the bodies with the excavator to lose track. Deli Hyseni surprisingly was never interviewed nor received a statement from Kosovo police or prosecution.

‘I remember quite well that day, the hour of sad sadness. I saw everything and I felt the worst horror for as a family member. After the shot the bodies of my family members fell one after the other and burned alive. Indeed it is really hard as a living witness to remember the massacred family members and I have often prayed the God to die and did not look at it”.

This is part of the story of Deli Hyseni from Gjilan who speaks for the first time for an Albanian medium. I have never had the opportunity to be interviewed by a foreign media after the Kosovo war or by KFOR even though I have a lot to declare and he also admits that no investigation took place for the Llashtica massacre.

In the Llashtica massacre Mr. Deliu lost his father Hysen Hyseni, his mother Ajshe Hyseni, his brother Fazli Hyseni, his wife Arife Hyseni, Fazliu’s son – Driton Hyseni, and his nephew (his sister’s son) Blerim Halili was killed in Velekinca.

In fact the most important witnesses of Llashtica massacre live abroad. Very painful is the story of Deli Hyseni’s – the main witness of Llashtica’s massacre – who is forced to go illegally to France to recover from wounds and war trauma in the absence of state institutions care.

Deli Hyseni is now 50 years old and has been living in France since 2006. ‘After the war I didn’t receive any treatment and I was disappointed. Even though I was wounded and lost half of my family, my father, my mother, my son, and my brother I had to work again. I had to support the rest of the family. I live in France now with my family and I am now comfortable there, ‘says Deliu.

He rejoices in any developments happening in Kosovo, although he says he cannot see it because in 2007 he lost his sight (became blind). ‘My eyes saw everything and I experienced horrible scenes. I remember quite well and every second I feel emotionally the Llashtica massacre. I do not forget any details and I remember the scene of the crime that the Serbian army and paramilitaries commited, which was also directed by regular police’.

Deliu says that because of the anxiety he cannot sleep and feel comfortable all night because he continually remembers the heavy horrible scenes. ‘How am I supposed to rest and sleep comfortably when my parents, my son, my wife and other relatives emerge before my eyes as they were so cruelly killed. I was only half-conscious because I was wounded in the throat then. April 30, 1999 changed everything in my life and consequently I have lost the strength and the courage to talk about that tragedy. It is a great emotion so that when I talk about it I can barely stand anymore. Although I am a witness to this massacreand I have experienced the most horrible scenes I’m still able to testify, to confess, to tell about the suspected Serbs. I’m disappointed because no one from the police or from the prosecution has gotten any statement from me. I lost trust in our institutions and I’m disappointed. ‘

Deli Hyseni talks about the murder of 13 Albanians in Rifat Shabani’s house. Delius remembers the time when the gypsy paramilitary shot his father first. ‘Gypsy (being assisted by a Serb) shot his father in the right eye and continues to kill the rest of people in that house.’

The bullet hits Mr. Deliu in the throat and he loses consciousness. He faces this scene and gets out of smoke and flame. ‘I saw my mother Ajshe burning in the fire. She died in my hands. I also saw Fisnik Shabani as he was dying tragically. He was carbonized next to his mother Zijavere. ‘

Deliu repeats that the paramilitary was a gypsy man and he executed Deli’s brother – Fazli, his cousin Rifat and then Xhavit, after his father’s assassination. ‘I was hit by a bullet in my neck and I was unconscious. After half an hour I saw that the murderers have executed them all with a bullet, while Ymer’s nephew was not executed because the murderers told him that we are not killing you because we are leaving you alive suffering the rest of your life remembering the horrible massacre, ‘says Deliu.

This is the testimony of Deli Hyseni, the man who saw everything, and even the bulldozer that came from Pasjan to flatten the whole crime scene. ‘I do not want to die without witnessing it and I do not want to die without meeting the Serb and the gypsy. Although I cannot see now, I would know them if I deal with them directly and meet face-to-face. Our investigators should waste the time until the witnesses die. It is really a shame that no one has ever been dealing with us – the witnesses. I will live with my confession that I have experienced on my skin, but when I die you won’t have my confession anymore. Even in France I have given a statement, but they told me you are blind now and it is difficult for you to testify, but I will testify one day, ‘adds Deli.
Deli’s message is clear and painful. ‘Do not forget the massacre of Llashtica, do not forget the tragedy that Serbia did to us, do not trample on the body of our children and our parents who burned alive. The least you can do is to bring him to justice, arrest criminals and do not forgive because history will not forgive you. ‘

ARKATANA
Nehat Shabani is a teacher and he witnessed Serbian violence. He is wounded in the right arm and lost his son Lirim. Mr. Nehati on 13 April 1999 was injured by Serbs while residents were staying in the mountains.

Mr. Nehat is delighted that Deli Hyseni has a good memory and is likely to confess to the massacre. ‘I’m surprised by investigative bodies who do not interview the main man of the massacre. I hope that those investigators and prosecutors will wake up one day from sleep, ‘says with irony Nehat Shabani.

Unfortunately no Llashtica witnesses have been summoned to testify at The Hague, despite the promise by Luis Arbur, former chief prosecutor of The Hague Tribunal. Though everything about the massacre in Llashtica was compiled starting with witness statements, scene outlines, crime scene photographs and video recordings, yet no official investigation by any investigating body was conducted.

Beside the village massacre, Llashtica has also experienced burning of houses where agricultural techniques have been plundered, village cattle disappeared, primary school ‘Esat Berisha’ was damaged, village mosque, village ambulance, village library burnt down.

In our village 123 houses were burned, 137 auxiliary items, 90 tractors and 120 motocultivators were plundered, 3 motorboats, 3 trucks, 130 trucks were looted. Also according to the data, Serbs had plundered 680 animals./rajonipress/

The Riflemen of 30 April 1999 (civilians who were shot) are:

1. Hysen Deli Hyseni born on 10.05.1933
2. Ajshe Hysen Hyseni born on December 11, 1937
3. Fazli Hysen Hyseni born on 06.01.1963
4. Arife Fazli Hyseni born on 21.08.1963
5. Driton Fazli Hyseni born on February 13, 1982
6. Mirije Deli Hyseni born on 19.05.1970
7. Blerim Ramadan Halili born on 22.12.1983
8. Rifat Xhemajl Shabani born on 14.09.1919
9. Selami Rifat Shabani born on 02.12.1954
10. Zijavere Ejup Shabani born on June 15, 1962
11. Fisnik Selami Shabani born on December 20, 1996
12. Sylejman Ymer Ibishi born on 18.06.1932
13. Xhavit Banush Berisha born on 10.12.1935

Below people have survived and were wounded in this shooting
– Deli Hysen Hyseni (1968)
– Dritë Fazli Hyseni (1984)
– Blerina Fazli Hyseni (1994)
– Leonora Deli Hyseni (1993)
– Vlorë Selami Shabani (1986)
In Llashtica below people were killed on 13 April 1999 also
– Ali Bejta Selimi 15.04.1937
– Enver Sylë Murseli 17.06.1949
– Ymer Kadri Rashiti 18.05.1930
– Lulzim Feti Musliu 28.02.1988
– Leonora Deli Hyseni (1993)
– Vlora Selami Shabani (1986)

Below people were killed on 16 .04.1999
– Rukije Qazim Ramushi 08.12. 1927
– Habibe Idriz Ramushi 03.05.1909
– Nezir Hasan Ramushi 15.02.1929
Xhyzide Shaban Hasani (1918)
– Lirim Nehat Shabani (1999)

Azem Limon Cani born on 25.04.1938 was killed on 20.04.1999./rajonipress/

The text was translated in English Language by Driton Dalipi