MURDERS - "SUICIDES" OF ALBANIAN SOLDIERS IN THE YUGOSLAV ARMY DURING 1981–1991

Florim SALIHU

Abstract

The phenomenon of killings of Albanian soldiers during their military service in the People's Army of the former Yugoslavia, described as "suicide" and military trials with ethno-political motivation will be addressed in this paper. In the period 1981-1991 in the People's Army of the SFRY, in enigmatic circumstances many young Albanians lost their lives. There are several characteristics that identify the state terror of the Military Secret Service (KOS) and the State Security Service (UDB) of the former Yugoslavia against Albanian soldiers while performing military service. First, all murders have been described as "suicide", or accidents of various natures, and here the real perpetrators of these crimes have never been punished. Presence of the phenomenon of setups and convictions with lawsuits against Albanian soldiers, hastened and motivated by politics and ethnicity. One of its characteristics of state terror has been the staging of cases with the right to incite and inter-ethnic violence. The mosaic of state violence against Albanian soldiers during the years "81- 99" is characterized by interference and political influence in the crimes and processes carried out against Albanian soldiers in the People's Army of the former Yugoslavia.

Pages: 126 - 133