Twenty-five years after the armed attack near Skënderaj, in which Bekim Kastrati and Besim Dajaku were killed and Gani Geci was wounded, the full circumstances of the assassination and criminal responsibility for it remain unclear. The “Bota Sot” archive preserves evidence from a period when killings and threats against journalists marked the early postwar years.
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On October 19, 2001, Bekim Kastrati, the Skënderaj correspondent for the national newspaper “Bota Sot,” was killed in an armed attack. Besim Dajaku, a member of the security detail of historic President Ibrahim Rugova, was also killed in the same attack, while Gani Geci was wounded.
A quarter of a century later, Bekim Kastrati’s name continues to be remembered by his family, colleagues and “Bota Sot” itself. His killing remains one of the heaviest blows against Albanian journalism in postwar Kosovo.
The attack in Llaushë
At around 8 p.m. on the evening of October 19, 2001, armed individuals opened fire on a vehicle in the village of Llaushë, near Skënderaj.
Bekim Kastrati died at the scene. Besim Dajaku, who was traveling in the same car, succumbed to his injuries, while Gani Geci was wounded.
The attack took place less than two and a half years after the end of the war and shortly before the November 17, 2001 elections. The fact that the victims were a journalist and a member of Rugova’s security detail caused deep concern about security and the political situation in Kosovo.
Ibrahim Rugova denounced the incident as a politically motivated crime and an attack on the free media. Following the assassination, the LDK suspended its election campaign for two days.
Condemnation by international organizations
On October 22, 2001, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo strongly condemned the attack. The organization highlighted its concern that the incident had taken place during the election campaign and that one of those killed was a journalist.
Bekim Kastrati’s case was also included in the Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ) documentation on journalists killed during 2001. The organization’s record stated that the motive for the killing had not been confirmed. While the killing is documented, the motive and full responsibility for organizing it have still not been established by the justice system.
Documentation in the “Bota Sot” archive
The day after the attack, “Bota Sot” reported on the incident. On the front page of its October 20, 2001 edition, the newspaper announced in a main headline the killing of its correspondent from Skënderaj. The same report also mentioned the death of Besim Dajaku and the wounding of Gani Geci.
The archive pages show how the incident was reported at the time. They demonstrate that threats against journalists were not a distant concern, but a reality that had directly affected the “Bota Sot” newsroom through attacks, threats and the loss of colleagues.
In 2005, a newspaper article recalled the pressure on the newsroom, the killings of Xhemajl Mustafa and Bekim Kastrati, as well as efforts to intimidate journalists. Despite these circumstances, the newsroom’s message was that its work would continue.
The investigation and unresolved responsibilities
The initial phase of the investigation was conducted by UNMIK, after which the case was transferred to EULEX.
In 2016, the Kastrati family was officially informed by the EULEX prosecutor’s office that the investigation had been closed. According to the letter, Agron Sylejmani, identified as the perpetrator, had died and therefore had never faced trial. The document stated that the attack had been carried out by Sylejmani “and other unknown individuals,” who were never identified.
The conclusion of the investigation does not mean that the circumstances, motive and role of other possible individuals have been conclusively established in court. For Bekim Kastrati’s family and for “Bota Sot,” questions about the case remain unanswered.
The killings that weighed heavily on Albanian journalism
The attack on Bekim Kastrati was part of a difficult period for Albanian journalists during the war and the first years that followed.
Enver Maloku was killed on January 11, 1999, while Shefki Popova was killed on September 10, 2000. On November 23, 2000, Xhemajl Mustafa, a journalist and close associate of Ibrahim Rugova, was killed. On June 3, 2005, “Bota Sot” journalist and publicist Bardhyl Ajeti was shot and later died from his wounds.
“Bota Sot” returned to these cases in February 2017 as well, in an article about the lack of punishment for the killings of journalists. At the time, the newspaper emphasized that the absence of justice continued to weigh on the victims’ families and society.
Remembering Bekim Kastrati and the demand for truth
For “Bota Sot,” October 19 is more than a date on the calendar. That day marks the loss of one of the newspaper’s correspondents, the grief of the Kastrati family, the killing of Besim Dajaku and the wounding of Gani Geci. It also remains a reminder of the sacrifices made by journalists who informed the public under difficult conditions.
Bekim Kastrati continues to live on in the memories of his colleagues and family members. Twenty-five years after the attack, his commemoration is accompanied by a demand that the events of October 19, 2001, be fully investigated and clarified. This requires examining all the circumstances on the basis of evidence and without excluding the responsibility of anyone who may have taken part in the attack.
