Unfortunately the blood feuds’ phenomenon is still present in Albania and Kosovo. Here we report a rare case where the mixture of ancient traditions and modern local intitutions gave rise to a real and effective reconciliation between the families in conflict. The text comes from Balkan Insight on November 4th, 2016.
On 9th November 2016 has been published the periodic European Commission’s Progress Report on the situation of Albania, which in 2014 acquired the candidate status to enter the European Union. The Report highlights a moderate progress in many areas, but particularly welcomes the enactment of new legislation aimed to the adjustment to the acquis communautaire; relevant improvements have been registered in the justice system reform and in the exclusion of criminal offenders from public offices. The Commission criticizes the high number of unfounded asylum applications by Albanian citizens in EU members and Schengen area countries and ask Albania to take adequate measures to tackle the phenomenon. As regards to the blood feuds phenomenon, the Report deals with it in the context of the protection of the right to life; it recalls the Albanian Parliament Resolution on March 2015, underlining that the Coordination Council against blood feuds has to be reactivated (p. 63 – “As regards right to life, the March 2015 parliament resolution and recommendations on blood feuds still require follow up. The Coordination Council has to be reactivated”). To read the full report click here.
Current situation
In September, the newspapers reported the case of a feud that took place in the region of Dukagjin. A few days after the murder, the murderer turned himself in to the authorities.
More and more often the “blood feuds” phenomenon goes beyond the national borders. It is the case of a recent extradition from Greece to Albania of a detainee who committed homicide for “blood feud” reasons. Moreover, the administrative tribunal of Düsseldorf denied the international protection to an Albanian citizen who fled to Germany in order to escape a blood feud, after being detained for the murder of a woman. (more…)
Operazione Colomba participates and supports the work of the Ombudsman Igli Totozani. On the 4th of March, Operazione Colomba attended the presentation of the second report on the phenomenon of blood revenge, reaffirming to the present institutions and to the civil society the importance of working together for the elimination of this phenomenon; in particular, to restart the work of local inter-institutional committee, interrupted a year ago.
December 2015 revenge casesAt the beginning of December, the media attention focused on the political clashes between the majority and the opposition to the Government. The “protest lights up” in Tirane on December 8. On the shadow of such events, the “Blood Feuds phenomenon” persists and, in parallel, the efforts carried on in order to contrast it. In his declaration stated during the Human Rights International Day, on December 10, the Ombudsman quotes the Parliament’s resolution approved at the aim of creating a Council of Coordination for the Struggle against the “Blood Feuds phenomenon”.
With regard to December 2015 revenge cases, by consulting the Albanian newspaper, are emerged four new cases of murder that can be related to the phenomenon dynamics. Moreover, an Italian news website and an Albanian one told about two long-lasting cases of feuds.
Beside, the Albanian Channel Star Plus TV has deal with the “Blood Feuds” topic by interviewing some Operation Dove volunteers. Finally, the Magazine Saras has published a short review about Isamil Kaderé’s book Broken April, that addresses the “Blood Feuds” theme.
