CURRENT SITUATION
In the month of April in a pub of Valona, a 19-year-old man killed a 33-year-old man with a firearm and injured three more people. From a series of investigations, it seems that the conflict broke out due to futile motives. The quarrel began when the 19-year-old, in a state of drunkenness, told the client sitting next to his table, ‘why are you staring at me?’ The police do not even exclude the idea of blood revenge, linking the conflict to a murder happened in 2000.
CURRENT SITUATION
On February, Albanian police has done several discoveries related to an inquiry about a “blood feud” case begun in 2016. The conflict burst in Elbasan between two clan. It causes 5 casualties and 7 injured. The inquiry results are not public yet, but it seems that one of the first murderers has been identified. The hope is that this news can be the starting point to discover other acts on revenge.
Moreover, at the beginning of February, in Kossovo, an Albanian man invested three people with his car. One of those people died. During the funeral, his family decided to forgive the driver, in order to avoid an escalation of violence. The event represents how traditional habits can still be used to stop the feuds circles.
CURRENT SITUATION
The new year started with some “blood feuds” episodes. In Vlore, a 22 year-old guy was killed by two other guys and in Visselhovede (Germany) an Albanian citizen was shot dead in front of his daughter. An year earlier he was released from jail where he was imprisoned for a murder he committed in 2011. He sought asylum in Germany for fear of retaliations. The revenge, unconcerned of borders and legal justice, reached him right there. Albanian justice system is trying to face the phenomenon by continuing asking extradition for those who committed murders for “blood feud” reasons. Indeed, recently another detainee was extradited from Great Britain. The feud he is involved in started on 1992 and caused three deaths and two casualties in the region of Mirdita.
CURRENT SITUATION
Despite many years spent in jail, a man and his family have been living in self-reclusion for sixteen years in Tirane. Even when justice runs its course, a man fears that revenge can still happen. That is the reason why he stays at home and forces his children to do the same. The use of private justice is not only a consequence of the absence of the state, it is also a consequence of a traditional habit which prescribes to “wash” the blood with other blood.
In December a man was killed in Shkoder. He was shot dead at the entrance of the city. Police has no clue about the murderer and is following two possible paths: a conflict with other people or a settling of scores, since the man had been in jail for theft. In both cases it would be a case of feud.
By the way, during the month a reconciliation was celebrated. It took place through the intervention of the bishop of Shkoder during Saint Nicholas celebration.
GENERAL SITUATION
During the month of November some cases of attempted murders for “blood feud” reasons happened. One of these, concerning a feud wich dates back to 1997, has been luckily prevented by the intervention of the police and the arrest of 4 people from the city of Kukës.
The same was for the attempted murder which took place in Vrakë, near Shkoder, sorted out with the arrest of father and son belonging to the same family.
OPERAZIONE COLOMBA
