Adem Jashari

Adem Jashari (November 28, 1955 – March 7, 1998) was born in Pristina, Kosovo. Jashari was a chief commander in the KLA operation Zone of the Kosovo Liberation Army. He is venerated by many Albanians as a freedom fighter in the cause of Kosovo independence. Also he is considered as a terrorist by Serbs and other non-Albanians from Kosovo. Jashari is considered to be Albanian National Hero.

Background

Adem's father was a teacher called Shaban. His birthday, November 28, coincides with the independence of Albania and the day of the Albanian flag.

Professional career

On July 2, 1990, Kosovo’s parliament declared Kosovo a seventh republic in Yugoslavia and adopted a constitution for the new Republic of Kosovo. Jashari soon moved to the Republic of Albania to train with the first volunteers who later joined in Kosovo Liberation Army, formally known in Albanian as "UÇK".

The Jashari family fought Serb/Yugoslav forces in Kosovo from the early '90s but this fact was kept hidden from the general public by both moderate Albanian politicians and by the Belgrade government, in order to preserve the status-quo. The first battle between Jashari and his friends against federal forces took place on the morning of December 30, 1991. Jashari's house was surrounded by a large number of security personnel demanding Adem's surrender. A fierce battle ensued in which the Yugoslav troops had to withdraw due to the strong resistance provided by Adem and friends [1]. The Jasharis residence in Prekaz was next attacked by Serbian police forces on January 22, 1998. The attack was repelled when, according to Shaban Jashari, Adem's father, "friends from the woods" came to help.

Last Stand

In the early morning hours of March 5, 1998, Prekaz was attacked again by the large national army and police forces in a "prepared and determined manner." A second ring of troops were formed to prevent any possible help coming to the Jashari family. The attacking force consisted of armored personnel carriers and police men, backed up by artillery from a nearby ammunition factory. For two days, the Jasharis held out in the compound as mortar and sniper fire rained down from outside. Anyone who stepped out found themselves at the mercy of Serb snipers.

In one of the houses, the Serbs fired mortars, followed by tear gas. Most of Jashari's extended family gathered in a single room, which had a brick wall. In his final hours, Adem supposedly kept the spirits' of the family up by entertaining them with Albanian folk songs. A shell then fell through the roof, killing a number of family members. The shelling continued for another thirty-six hours before the police finally entered the compound.

It is estimated that 58 ethnic Albanians were killed in the attack including 28 women and children from the Jashari family. The exact number varies depending upon source. Only 11-year old Basorta Jashari, Adem's niece of 11 years, came out of the rubble as the only survivor.

Local villagers say that Adem shot himself to protect his honour and avoid being killed by the federal army. As a matter of fact, there was only one bullet wound in his right jaw, showing that Adem possibly shot himself

Legacy

Jashari became a symbol of independence for Kosovo Albanians, as many have been known to wear t-shirts with his picture after Kosovo declared its sovereignty on Sunday, February 17, 2008. The t-shirts are known to say "Bac, U Kry!", which roughly translates to 'Uncle, It's Done!" in English.

External links

• Violations in the Drenica Region - Human Rights Watch website
• Kosova's silent houses of the dead
• Kosovo killings: Belgrade's official version of events - BBC News Article
• article about Adem Jashari (in polish) - Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland)