zona-naslovna

“When the shooting stopped I heard the voices of the shot men. Probably some of them were still alive. Five minutes after that, the house of Z.G. was on fire, with six shot men inside.” – H.K.

“Before they came inside, the main guy shot in the ground and yelled “take everything out of your pockets”. I ran to my mother. The women started pulling out money and jewelry, all they had with them. They took my father and five men in another room” ” – B.K.

“After a short while, the soldiers took out the men. They were in their underwear. Two in line, with their hands behind their backs, they were took outside the house. I remember Mr. A. saying “please”. Walking outside of the house, he kept repeating that word.” – B.K.

“After less than five minutes we heard a burst of gunfire. Only one and it lasted short. The women started crying. My mother too. I cried too and just watched confusedly. I knew they killed my father.” – B.K.

“Three days later, the sons of V.N.went to our burnt house where they collected the remains of the three persons killed and burnt in the house and then buried them in a field.” – V.N.

“We haven’t found the bodies until 2005 when two persons from the Red Cross came and told us that the bodies of my brothers were found in a mass grave in Ruhot.” – B.S.

“We haven’t found the bodies, but in the repair shop we found traces of blood, shoes and clothing parts of the killed men.” – J.R.

“We came off the truck and approached the vehicle repair shop. The ditch was full of dead bodies, among which was the body of my husband.” – S.H.

“They put them against the wall and started searching them. Then, they told the rest of us to continue towards Pec. We didn’t know what happend to the 18 men from our village.” – H.H.

“They took foam rubber in the hall and lit it on fire. One of them approached from the outer side of the house, broke the window just above my head and threw the lit foam rubber into the room. At once, the dead bodies were caught in fire, as well as the whole room and the house.” – I.G.

“When the Serbian forces noticed us, they ordered us to join the gathered crowd and to hand them all the money and jewelry we had. Then they separated us from the men and divided them into three groups.” – A.G.

“When we came into the hallway of the house, I was the first in line and a lighter was thrown in front of me. I didn’t see who threw the lighter. One of them shouted at me “pick it up and light it”. I took the lighter. I don’t know whether I lit it, when I heard a burst of fire.”” – R.K.

“Around 10 o’clock in the morning, the Serbian soldiers separated a group of young men between 13 and 18 years of age. One officer kept my son S. on his knees and said “we are the regular army and we don’t kill young people, we will bring all of them home”.” – X.V.

“After that they ordered the rest of us 12 men who were left in the truck to come down. Then they told us to stand in line with our hands above our heads and they were taking us to the place where they just killed the first two groups.” – X.V.

“Immediately after that, two paramilitary men came saying ”Here are the terrorists” and they started shooting at us.” – R.B.

“After they put that paramilitary man in the tank, they shot six civilians who carried the body so far. Then they spoke to us : « Six Albanians for one of ours »” – R.B.

“They stripped them all the way down. I don’t know what happened to them, as they were held on that field, while they were leading us to Qirez.” – R.B.

“They made us lay down and told us to hand out our money unless we want to get killed. I had 100 DM that I hid in my socks. I took out the money and gave it to them.” – R.B.

“”It was then that they separated the men, among them my husband, and ordered us women and children to continue our way to Albania”. – Z.S”

“”I saw my son bending down on his knees and raising his hands above his head.” – Z.M”

“”They hit his head with a baton and took 1000 DM from him, and then put him aside from the road, where there were some other men who were also separated, whom I did not recognize.” – Sh.G”

“”When we passed by the policemen, one of them said to my son: “You, go over there and give the child to someone else.” – Sh.B”

“”The last thing I saw was when they took all three of them to the field next to the road, where they placed all other men who were separated”. – Sh.H”

“”On the way home, close to the cemetery, I saw the body of I.H. who had been murdered. He was in a sitting position, and had a bullet hole in the chest area, close to the heart.” – A.R.”

“”I knew that they shot my husband I., we were however forced to continue walking on foot in the direction of Albania.” – A.H.”

“I demanded that they let us take some food and clothes with us and I asked them to allow me to set the cattle free that remained tied in the barn, but they refused all of it. ” – L.K.

“At the crossroad, the Serbian army separated from our families a group of 14 men, 15 years and older.” – L.K.

“It was over a 100 of us on the tractors. They took all of our valuables. They were looking for money and jewelery.” – L.K.

“On the road toward Gjakove, on the right side of the road I saw 7-8 men who were lying there, with their faces on the ground and hands above their heads.” – L.K.

“We started to cry. Mother tried to calm us down by saying that we are children and that they won’t harm us.” – E.M.

“I heard them cry… and then the explosion of the second bomb. After the explosions, you could hear bursts of gunfire, and it lasted for a long time, and then came the dead silence.” – E.M.

“We saw Sinan’s house on fire. That moment was the hardest for me. I knew that my dearest mother, sisters, brothers and other relatives are burning in there.” – E.M.

“I felt sorry for my sister who was only six years old and whom I left when I jumped through the window. I awfully regretted jumping and saving only myself. I wish I died along with them.” – E.M.

“We went straight to the burnt house. We went slowly inside. It smelled. We illuminated the room a bit with a lighter. Only then I realized that we were walking over the remains of bodies.” – E.M.

“We started panicking. The same policeman broke the window of the room in which we were and then opened the door of the room and threw a bomb in that exploded immediately.” – L.M.

“I was petrified that he would notice me too. I tried not to breathe. For my daughter who was also covered in dead bodies I thought she wasn’t alive because I could see her breathing. ” – L.M.

“After the second explosion, the policeman fired in bursts on the people some of who were wounded and others already dead. The policeman changed his cartridge clip three of four times.” – H.K.

“I continued searching for my children. I took a small skull to the hallway, I didn’t know whose but it was a child’s skull. My hand turned black.” – F.M.

“At the beginning of June, about ten days before the Serbian forces withdrew, I saw the police open the tomb and pull out the bodies. I was watching with binoculars from the mountain. All the bodies were loaded into a military truck. ” – F. M.

“He only briefly, and slowly replied, “Mother, take the kids and go.” The policeman pushed me with his automatic rifle and I fell. I held the policeman by his feet and begged him not to kill my son. ” – M. M.

“We walked for about 50 meters and we heard bursts of gunfire. We all started whining. I wanted to come back, but others wouldn’t let me go. ” – M. M.

“My father, who probably knew that we would be executed, fell to his knees in front of the commander and told him in Serbian: “Please, I’m here with my two sons. Please leave one alive because I have no more sons. ” ” – P. M.

“In those moments, I saw that everyone around me fell to the ground. Although I wasn’t hit, I quickly fell and I pretended to be hit. ” – P. M.

“I slowly walked over to the corpses, and took the bag with food that was next to the body of my father. We couldn’t stay and bury the bodies. We were afraid that they would come back and find us. ” – P. M.

“When Shefqet went to the place where he had buried the others, he didn’t find their bodies, and this was a couple of days after a bulldozer came and dug around the place where their graves were ” – F. D.

“The houses in Duboc were burning and you could hear gunshots. ” – V.G.

“By the tears in his eyes I knew that something bad happened in our village.” – H.A.

“When we arrived in Duboc we came across a group of Serbian forces burning houses. ” – S.A.

“The soldier came in and pointed to Z.H. and said come with me, she went out and did not say anything. She was outside about 20 minutes” – X.R.

“I asked her “what did they do to you?”, she said “my god what happened to us, they took all my clothes off”. I did not ask her anything else.” – X.R.

“He touched me on the breasts and then laughed with the other soldier.” – X.R.

“I could see 3 gypsies covering graves in the cemetery. I thought the 3 older women they had taken maybe they were burying them there.” – X.R.

“The young men who noticed the army before they entered the village managed to escape, but not all. ” – M. D.

“After the column with women and children got away, and when they were convinced that they have already left the village Rezalle, they ordered us to get up in line, two by two, and to get out of the yard.” – M. D.

“We walked about 50 meters with a military escort. Then they stopped near the village cemetery. They ordered us to lean on one fence.” – M. D.

“While we were lining up, the soldiers cocked their rifles. The distance between us and the soldiers was only 10 meters. It was only then that I figured out that they were going to shoot us. That’s why they left the tractors engine running, so as not to hear the shooting.” – M. D.

“Everything happened so quickly, we didn’t even have the time to look at each other or to somehow say goodbye to each other and to this life.” – M. D.

“Bursts of gunfire suddenly started. It seems to me that we all fell to the ground at the same time. The first bullet hit me on the right side of the chest, and another bullet hit me in the right leg. I immediately fell to the ground. Slowly I waited to die. It seems to me that the gunfire lasted forever.” – M. D.

“Then the soldiers came to us and fired further bursts on corpses. Then I was hit the third time again on the right leg.” – M. D.

“I stayed lying for about 15 minutes. There was complete silence. I was sure they were all dead. I opened my eyes. I could not believe I survived, although I waited every moment for my heart to fail.” – M. D.

“Because the bodies were not found, some peasants are hoping even today that their family members are alive and be held in so-called private prisons in Serbia.” – M. D.

“I was scared to death, and I held Uncle Janus’ by his shoulder, because he could not stand on his feet. He was scared. At one point, all the soldiers who stood on the road started to charge their weapons.” – I. R.

“Then some old men, among whom was uncle Janus, began to pray to God out loud, and then all the others did the same because they knew they were going to be executed.” – I. R.

“Shortly afterwards, I heard some footsteps going towards us on my left side and then going in order and shooting with ab automatic rifle at people who were already on the ground. When he arrived at my head, then I heard him changing his cartridge clip and then started shooting at people who were on my right.” – I. R.

“I was the penultimate person that came out of that yard, close to my father Latifa and I saw when all the men were ordered to stand on their feet and to realign.” – H. D.

“When we crossed another 150 meters from our village, I heard bursts of gunfire.” – H. D.

“At the main gate of the yard there were two soldiers, and as we were leaving, they separated the men while the women and children were ordered to continue their journey.” – S. R.

“When we arrived at the entrance of the village Likoc, near the traffic lights, we heard the sound of tractor engines and a burst of gunfire. Since that day, no one knows anything about Besim or our other relatives.” – S. R.

“”Go to Clinton, complain to Rugova, there’s no room for you here”” – F.G.

“”They separated some of the men to the side and sent the others to Albania”” – M.K.

“”The same policeman then turned to us and ordered us to continue our way to Albania. I don’t know what happened to my husband”” – E.A.

“”10 or 15 soldiers with tin hats started separating the young men from the column. Then they ordered my son too to leave with them. My son was afraid. I told him “don’t be scared my son, it will be fine””.” – K.K.

“”When we reached Djakovica/Gjakove, we waited all night, hoping they’d let our sons go. But they didn’t come and I never saw my son, who was 22 years old at the time.”” – K.H.

“I heard one of the soldiers say: “No one should be left alive, check!”” – M.A.

“The gunfire lasted about 5 minutes. Then I felt pain in my stomach, but I couldn’t move, I pretended to be dead. I heard some people crying for help.” – B.H.

“They ordered women with children to leave towards Albania. We had no choice, so we left, leaving the men behind. After walking for about 10 minutes I heard a burst of gunfire.” – S.U.

“They ordered them to lay down and when they did, the members of the Serbian forces started shooting at them.” – M.A.

“I think I passed out, because I couldn’t remember the time or what happened in the meantime. I only heard someone saying that we should leave as there is no paramilitaries nearby. They helped me get up. I lost a lot of blood and felt dizzy. ” – D.U.

“My husband was holding our one year old daughter in his arms. One paramilitary man ordered him to put the child down and to join the other men who were separated on the side.” – Z.H.

“Around 10 o’clock after the Serbian forces burnt nearly all the houses and started exiting the village, I went to my house which was on fire and in front of the door I found the body of my nephew facing down.” – T.H.

“My daughter insisted on going back to her father. I didn’t let her, but there was a big commotion so she managed to slip out and head back to our village on foot. I couldn’t imagine that my husband and daughter would be killed that day.” – V.M.

“”One tank positioned itself on the hill above the village and pointed its cannon toward the village. Later, with no warning, the tank shot straight at our house”” – R.G.

“”So I took the remains of the body (I collected the ashes and the little things that were left, earrings etc) and buried them in the village graveyard”” – M.G.

“”On March 26 Serb infantry forces entered our village and ordered us to leave our village and go to Albania”” – M.G.

“”A few days later I was told by my neighbors who escaped to Prizren that the bodies of the killed disappeared from the place of the incident”” – S.G.

“I felt sorry for my uncle, but I didn’t move his body from that spot” – B.Sh.

“We said goodbye to them and that was the last time I saw my brothers alive.” – F.H.

“I loved my father very much and I miss him more than anything in this world.” – J.Sh.

“My husband shouted “don’t shoot, there are children here!”” – S.M.

“He was massacred and I have no words to describe the state my father’s body was in when I found it.” – R.G.

“Near H.’s body I later found 18 cartridge cases.” – I.D.

“I heard the soldiers threatening and cursing – we’ll kill you all, we’ll slaughter you” – M.A.

“I came into my house that was burned down and in the middle of the yard I saw a killed cow.” – Z.D.

“No one who was present during the massacre in Obri e Epërme survived the massacre.” – I.D.

“Please don’t kill my only brother!” – V.Z.

“One of the soldiers in green, camouflage uniform threw a bomb through the window. The bomb fell on the chest of the old man H.A. and he was killed instantly.” – B.B.

“After they came out on the street, they started shooting at my husband I. I threw myself over I. and started yelling to kill me too.” – Sh.K.

“One of them hit me on the head with hit rifle butt and pushed me to the side.” – E.Z.

“Water of the river Belaja was red of blood.” – S.Z.

“Early in the morning, exactly one day after the NATO bombing of Kosovo, Serbia’s police and army entered our village with tanks and began to burn the houses and the whole village.” – E.Z.

“Soon the sky was completely covered with smoke coming out of our burnt houses.” – F.Z.

“One of the police officers addressed us:” Did you see what NATO did to us last night?, now you will pay.” ” – S.Z.

“Among the 70 men on that field, I saw the bodies of my two sons.” – F.P.

“Even though I recognized that it was his body, I couldn’t approach him as the Serbian forces were close and I was afraid that they would notice me” – E.V.

“When he entered the room, I heard a stark voice from the yard saying “Throw the bomb you idiot and run”” – M.G.

“Moj father was killed with one bullet to the forehead, and there were mark of maltreatment on his body, and his right let was broken.” – B.V.

“The policeman ordered us to go home, so we had to leave our killed ones and leave.” – X.K.

“Around 10 o’clock after the Serbian forces burnt nearly all the houses and started exiting the village, I went to my house which was on fire and in front of the door I found the body of my nephew facing down.” – T.H.

“My daughter insisted on going back to her father. I didn’t let her, but there was a big commotion so she managed to slip out and head back to our village on foot. I couldn’t imagine that my husband and daughter would be killed that day.” – V.M.

“”I begged them to release our sons, but one of them told me “They just need to stay there to get checked and we will release them, too” – K.P”

“”At that moment, one policeman ordered me in Serbian to quickly get out of the yard and leave for Albania” – Z.P”

“”The police noticed my presence, but did not react to it at all. Then I saw that the second floor of the house caught fire” – M.D”

“”While I was leaving the yard, I saw that one policeman was carrying a camera and filming everything that was going on in the yard” – D.D”