Tuesday, August 18, 2009

U.S. citizens freed from Montenegrin Prison

August 17, 2009, TUZ, MONTENEGRO - After nearly three years behind bars, three Albanian men were released yesterday from a Montenegrin prison after serving their sentences for unwarranted accusations stemming from their involvement in a scheme to carry out acts of "terrorism" against Montenegro.

U.S. citizens Kol and Rrok Dedvukaj, along with Pjeter Devukaj were hauled off to prison on September 9, 2006, on the eve of parliamentary election in Montenegro. The charges stemmed from arms possession to plans to commit "terrorist" acts aimed at creating a separate Albanian region within Montenegro. But as the highly televised trial pressed on for nearly two years, the prosecution was never able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that these men were in any way connected with the crimes they were being charged. In fact, all the evidence that was gathered during the trial was never tied with any one suspect. Nonetheless, as the proceedings went forward, unsubstantiated claims of "terrorist aggression against the state" was broadcast throughout this tiny country leading to a publicly televised verdict of "guilty."

Montenegro was immediately able to frame public opinion and consciousness that (1) Albanians in general were aggressively pursuing secession, (2) the Albanian Diaspora was behind this, (3) that Montenegro was an ally in the fight against global terrorism and these arrests were no different than others around the globe, (4) that Albanians were connected with Muslim fundamentalists in the Middle East [although all the accused were Catholic], and (5) that the protections in the Montenegrin constitution did not apply to these people.

SUBDUED CELEBRATION

Family members of these gentlemen were elated after their release, but the celebration was clouded by several factors that will have a lasting effect on the lives of the Dedvukaj's and those that continue to serve sentences. The mental and physical pains will endure forever; Kol Dedvukaj was diagnosed with diabetes while in prison and suffered severe mental lapses attributed to daily beatings. With his sudden weight loss, Rrok has complained of enduring headaches and amnesia, also attributed to nearly three years of physical and mental anguish. What is just as disturbing was the mental torture that all the prisoners went through; constant harassment related to their ethnicity followed by tormenting that the United States did not care that their very own citizens were being held and tortured by a corrupt regime.

Although they have finally been released, and now united with their families, their road back to the United States will be coupled with an even longer road to mental recovery. Returning to a country they entrusted would come to their rescue, when in fact it did not, will be hard to swallow. But what is harder to comprehend is how three innocent men visiting relatives in their homeland could be illegally arrested, brutally beaten, ethnically discriminated, mentally tormented, and physically tortured by a country that continues to propagate that it is meeting all democratic principles en route to EU membership.

Whatever the case may be, "Eagle's Flight" will forever be a thorn in Montenegro's side until she decides to confess that this whole ordeal was strategically planned to quash the efforts that Albanians have for decades believed in -- the constitutional freedom to express themselves and participate without any obstructions by the majority and the state.

12 comments:

Prek Cali said...

Very well written article...

Anonymous said...

Bravo freemalesia, well said and brilliantly expressed!

Anonymous said...

You are correct, there is a sense of "subdued" feeling in the air about this, especially in Malesia this week.

Everyone is talking about it, and no one is "celebrating," not even the families.

Even when ALL the prisoners are released there will be NO CELEBRATION, but instead a continued campaign to bring the truth out and hold those responsible for abusing and torturing our brethern, even if it means taking on the coorupt state headed by its mob boss, Dukanovic!

Albanians never forget, and as the Diaspora assembles its case, there will be redemption.

Anonymous said...

This article precisely and correctly unveils the Montenegrin brutality and their backward attitude toward Albanians. The very same individuals have committed crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosova, so for them was just another ill-fated campaign against innocent civilians. The Albanians in Montenegro will never forget this barbaric, primitive and unlawful crusade against their families, orchestrated by thugs and criminals in Podgorica. From this vicious episode, hopefully, Albanians will learn a lesson. The Albanian Diaspora has recorded all these abuses against Albanian political prisoners, and will inform American authorities accordingly. It’s the time for Albanians to launch a massive mobilization of all Albanians, and defend them against further human and civil maltreatments; we cannot afford to stand by and maintain this status quo… while Montenegro is wiping out the entire population from their ancient lands. Diaspora -Malesia is waiting for you!

Anonymous said...

Ahh, Albanians were doomed the minute they refused to hold street protests against the arrests.

Remember that Malesia held three protests in Tuz the year before, demainding their rights to local self government. Those rallies were gusranteed rights.

Fast-forward to the Fall of 2006 and everyone shuts the fuck up and says/does nothing!

Do you think other minorities would have sat idle and did nothing? I think not!

Even the Mayor of Rochester hills visited his so-called "sister city" and did not even visit the prisoners, and those American citizens lived in his county.

WHY IS EVERYONE AFRAID?!?!?!

ALBANIANS WERE WRONGED IN MONTENEGRO, THEY WERE TORTURED, BEATEN TO A PULP!

FOR ALL OF YOU PATRIOTA, all I have to say is SHAME ON YOU!!!!

You distanced yourselves from these innocent men when they needed you the most ... SHAME ON YOU!

Don't you dare approach any of the released prisoners now and offer your sympathy or regrds that are are out, you deserted them in 2006 and now they should desert your asses in 2009 and beyond.

We (Albanians) were slapped, spat on, called names, tortured, and violated in every way imaginable and we did NOTHING! Who cares if the USA, Europe did nothing to help, WE NEEDED TO STICK TOGETHER AND MAKE OUR OWN DEMANDS HEARD, AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE IN THE REGION (including Podgorica) KNOWS THAT THEY CANNOT COME INTO OUR HOMES AND PUSH US AROUND!!!!

CONCLUSION -- 16 broken Albanians with a harmful memory. Our ancestors would have turned in their graves. Do you think Ded Gjo' Luli and his followers would have tolerated these events?

It's better not even to call yourselves Albanians, just say you are gypsies that resemble the once-proud Albanian race that pushed back teh Turks and trampled over the Slavs to raise the red and black on the highest point of Decic.

TODAY all that is raised in Malesia are Montenegrin flags, glasses of raki, and the volume on Serbian music radios!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Angry blogger:

I totally agree with you 100%

Anonymous said...

i can already foretell whats going to happen. they're going to throw a welcome home party for the newly released, and a month down the line, people will forget the whole horrible ordeal. its not like they haven't forgotten about it already.

the albanian americans should save themselves the trouble, and forget about feeling obligated about these political heroes and get back to sitting on their fat asses watching T.V. and being the "all talk, no action" type that they're so good at.

makes me fucking sick,
The True Patriot

tnt said...

very well written article, packed with facts not fiction, unfortunately we still have many brethren rotting away in their prison system and, unfortunately no form of force will free them from their beast of burden............

angry blogger............ although i do agree with you on several points, i do not agree with you on many!! it is easy to sit on the outside and judge those in the fire and say, "its not that hot" like so many in diaspora do!! from their nice homes and cars saying "they should do this, and that!"..... but those ppl, our brothers and sisters, live in fear everyday!! they have lives; their raising families over there. half of them are pro serbs!!! just like here in America!! an the other half are afraid that their own brothers will rat them out!! THAT IS WHY THEIR AFRAID!

DIVIDE AND CONCUR !! THE OLDEST STRATEGY IN THE BOOK!!

and if you rewind the tape back to 2006 at world events you'll see that the US had just invaded Iraq on claims of terrorist activities and was taking a lot of heat from the entire world on that matter.

Albanian Americans exhausted all means to free their brothers in peril, from holding demonstrations,(which i personally attended!!) to calling on and applying pressure to very influential ppl in the US government,( congressmen, senators, diplomats) which we've supported and have gone to bat for us many times before!! their families even hired independent attorneys to go and defend them on these false accusations, with no avail!! if you read this article again you'll see that these guys have STILL not been formally charged with a specific crime!!)

how is NATO(which is really just the US)going to fend for accused terrorist when it is leading a world wide anti-terrorism campaign?

them serbs know that, they are very good at politics, have been playing the game for centuries!!

why do you think formal charges have never been filed? you charge someone; you have to have facts, proof.

you accuse someone; everyone stands on the sidelines waiting to see that proof!!

you said we need to stick together!! i agree. unfortunately, the reality is, we are divided.

they say time heals all wounds......... it is my hope that with the release of these men this wound will be reopened, and with our media and various other resources these men will be given the opportunity to restore their names/honor/dignity and wipe away the blemishes bestowed upon them by our nemesis', by telling America, and the world the true story as it was!!! and hopefully in the process we can apply enough pressure on the Montenegrin government to free the remaining men falsely accused...........

remember "FREE PETER IVEZAJ USA!!!"


p.s. why is everyone anonymous? afraid to say who you are!!?

sincerely

TNT LULGJURAJ

Anonymous said...

I'm just too lazy to log-in, thus signing off as anonymous is more convenient.

~ T. Kalaj

Anonymous said...

Albanians in america are snitching on their own brothers it is a known fact that these low lifes are in cahoots with the montenegrans. We all know that perkovics, camavic, lugjurovic, djokovic, ulic dukic etc toasted when our brothers were arrested in 2006 to them i say fuck you. I pray that those who are still in prison be released very soon.

Anonymous said...

Hello Peoples:

There are a lot of Albanians in Montenegro that consider Montenegro their country and turn away from any Albanians that suggest their rights are being violated.

They are the greatest challenge for Albanians in Montenegro -- those that are naive and don't realize that they do not have the same socio-political rights as Slavs do but instead are too damn brainwashed and/or corrupt to think otherwise.

This goes for Albanians in Mont and in the Diaspora alike.

I mean for God's sake, look who Montenegro sucks into their web and uses to propogate that they are pro-minority rights:

- Ambassador to Albania: Mark Camaj

- Minister of Minority Rights: Ferhat Dinosha

- Albanian leader in the DPS: Nikola Gegaj

- Montenegro's Consul in the USA: Fran Lulgjuraj ...

...just to name a few.

They are all puppets that Montenegro uses to show the international community that they are sensitive to Albanians and indeed give them all their rights, so by finding those that are Slav sympathisers (like the names above), they have no problem with giving them apartments in Budva, peppering them with euros, and making behind-the-scene deals that support them and their families for life, these ficticious "Albanians" are killing the others that are slowly but surely becoming extinct.

For the saying for Albanians in Montenegro is: "YOU EITHER ASSIMILATE OR EMIGRATE."

~ Nick Gjurashaj

Anonymous said...

KILLTHESERBS!KILLTHESERBS!KILLTHESERBS!KILLTHESERBS!KILLTHESERBSKILLTKILLKILLTHESERBS!THESERBS!HESERBS!!KILKILLTHESERBS!LTHESERBS!KILLTHESERBS!KILLTHESERBS!KILLTHESERBS!KILLTHESERBS!KILLTHESERBS!KILLTHEKILLTHESERBS!SERBS!KILLKILLTHESERKILLTHESERBS!BS!THESERBS!KILLTHESERBS!