January 21st homage

Faik Myrtaj’s wife arrived from Fier, together with his son, Renato. Their pain was doubled when a few months after his father, the youngest son, Bardhosh Myrtaj, committed suicide.

Ana and Keidi, the daughter and son of Ziver Veizi, accompanied by their mother and relatives, placed wreaths at the portrait of Ziver, on the exact place where he was killed. The opposition leader, Edi Rama, met the two children and in sign of respect he touched the pavement where their father was killed on January 21st.

The mother of Hekuran Deda arrived at the portrait of her son, crying and accusing his killers, while the opposition leader and several citizens placed flowers and wreaths.

The ceremony continued with a documentary shown by Cinema “Millenium”, prepared by the Socialist Party, entitled “January 21st, the open wound”, in which the relatives appeared describing the absence of their loved ones who were killed during the protest in front of the Prime Minister’s office.

“I demand complete justice, because I lost my husband and son, the people that I loved most. There will be no justice, for as long that we have Sali Berisha in government”, declared Mahmude Myrtaj, the wife of Faik Myrtaj.

Ana, the daughter of Ziver Veizi, says that when her father was alive, she used to tell him that she would become an actor. Today she says that if justice will not work, she will study law.

Ilmi Deda, the brother of Hekuran Deda, declared among other things that
“Berisha could kill all of us, seeing how he started it”.

The absent justice was the keyword of Edi Rama’s speech.

“This wound is open, and it still has the infection of a failed justice.
Today Albania has more injustice than two years ago. The boulevard
murders were repaired by trials. The wound is badly infected by
injustice, making the EU and US partners be clearer than ever about
January 21st. The day of justice will be closer only if we remove from
power the government that killed them. Justice for January 21st is more
than a righteous trial. It separates two different worlds, two different
governing perceptions, two different paths towards our future”, Rama
declared.The absent justice was the keyword of Edi Rama’s speech.

“This wound is open, and it still has the infection of a failed justice.
Today Albania has more injustice than two years ago. The boulevard
murders were repaired by trials. The wound is badly infected by
injustice, making the EU and US partners be clearer than ever about
January 21st. The day of justice will be closer only if we remove from
power the government that killed them. Justice for January 21st is more
than a righteous trial. It separates two different worlds, two different
governing perceptions, two different paths towards our future”, Rama
declared.

Rama promised another Albania for the next January 21st.

“I don’t know if we will have justice until the next January 21st or if
we will have a sigh of relief when we’ll place wreaths next year for
Ziver, Aleks, Hekuran and Faik, saying that justice was finally made and
those who are responsible were punished. But I can say that in the next
January 21st, Albania will not be suffocated and the Albanians will not
feel unsafe from crime, discouraged by pressure and disgusted by a
politics of lies and defamation. We will govern for the Albanians, and
we will respect every step taken by the sovereign people, their rights
and freedoms, even on behalf of the January 21st victims, Rama declared.

After the ceremony held at “Kinema Millenium”, the victim relatives,
accompanied by the opposition leader and his wife, Linda, walked to the
pedestrian road, saying that a delayed justice is a denied one, not only
for the souls of those who died, but also for the grieving hearts of
their relatives.

Media not allowed at SP meeting

The Socialist Party accused the Albanian Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, together with the former Interior Minister, Lulzim Basha, today Mayor of Tirana, of ordering the police to not allow media equipments at the pedestrian road for a live broadcast of the Socialist display at the “Millenium Cinema”. MP Sajmir Tahiri and also leader of the Socialist Party for Tirana, released a statement in which the SP condemned this act.

“The Albanian Prime Minister, in cooperation with the Municipal Police and with the cooperation of former Interior Minister, today Mayor of Tirana, stopped the media from broadcasting live the activity of the Socialist Party. The same man who killed four peaceful protesters tried once again to stop the public from watching a documentary prepared by the Socialist Party about the January 21st events. We say today that the same man who gave the order for the January 21st shootings, in cooperation with his former Interior Minister, and the same who is obstructing justice for the January 21st trial, ordered the police to stop the public from seeing the truth of January 21st events”, Tahiri declared.

On the opposition’s behalf, Tahiri warned the Albanian Prime Minister and Mayor Basha that they cannot escape justice for their role on the January 21st events.

“We guarantee the Prime Minister that justice will not always be on his hands. We guarantee the former Interior Minister, today Mayor of Tirana, that he will not escape justice. We guarantee all the blind National Guard officers that they will not escape justice. We guarantee the Albanian citizens and the victims’ relatives that justice will be made after June 23rd, and that we will do everything to bring those who are responsible to justice”, Tahiri declared.

Berisha: January 21st was a coup

Two years after the January 21st events, the Albanian Prime Minister declared that on January 21st, a group of adventurers tried to overthrow a freely elected government through violence. Berisha declared that this was the first time it happened since 1924, and history threw to the rubbish bin those who organized this rebellion. 

“As a nation and a region rich of history, I cannot leave without mentioning that on January 21st, two years ago, a group of adventurers tried to overthrow the government that was elected by free votes. This was the ugliest act since 1924, and those who thought that they could have their mandates through violence, ended up in the rubbish bin of history. By giving once again my condolences to the relatives of Edi Rama’s victims, I ask him to stop all pressures towards justice. The government will make everything possible to find the truth and to bring justice. So far, no one of those who organized; paid and lied to the people who came to overthrow the government with violence, only for Mr. Rama to hold a speech from the balcony of my office, and now is trying to collect votes with funerals for which he has maximal responsibility”, Berisha declared.
 

Council of Europe: Thorough investigation for January 21st

On the second anniversary of the January 21sttragic events, the Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe,Nils Muiznieks, reacted with a public declaration.

“More than two years after the tragic deathof four protesters in Tirana, and with many other policemen and protesterswounded, I am concerned that those who are responsible for this serious violationof human rights have not been held accountable yet in front of the justice. Iurge the Albanian government to continue with a thorough, unbiased and credibletrial, and a regular judicial process, so that we can give a clear signalagainst impunity for this serious violation of human rights”, Muiznieks declared.

Spahiu: Berisha will go to prison

Referring to the January 21st events and the government’s failure to punish those who are responsible, the head of the Red and Black Alliance, Kreshnik Spahiu, declared that Prime Minister Berisha is responsible for this crime, and he must be brought to justice for the counts of murder, corruption and treason.

“Sali Berisha shot against the people not to defend the fatherland, but to protect his government seat, which he considers as his home. The Red and Black Alliance declare that defendant Sali Berisha has committed three crimes: premeditated massive murder in cooperation; national treason by giving Albanian territory to the Greek government, and systematic active corruption. For these three crimes defendants Sali Berisha deserves prison for life, and he will not escape from prison”, Spahiu declared.
 

Top Channel