June 26 marks the anniversary of the founding of the national newspaper “Bota sot,” established in Zurich, Switzerland, by Xhevdet Mazrekaj together with other activists from the Albanian diaspora.
This year, “Bota sot” marks its 31st anniversary, continuing for more than three decades to remain close to its readers as an important source of information on developments in Kosovo, the region, and beyond.
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After the war in Kosovo, in 1999, the newspaper expanded its activity by establishing its central newsroom in Prishtina. But the post-war period would also become the darkest chapter in its history, as “Bota sot” is ranked among the media outlets that have lost the most journalists and associates in tragic circumstances.
The years 2000–2005 proved particularly dangerous for the newspaper’s staff. Because of its bold reporting, an editorial line close to Kosovo’s historic president Ibrahim Rugova, as well as criticism of certain political and criminal structures, some of its best-known journalists and columnists were killed in assassinations that remain unsolved.
On November 23, 2000, Xhemajl Mustafa was killed, one of Kosovo’s most prominent intellectuals, writers, and politicians. He was Rugova’s senior political adviser and a close associate of the newspaper “Bota sot.” The killing took place at the entrance of his apartment building in Prishtina, in an घटना that shocked public opinion and marked the beginning of the series of post-war political killings.
Then, on October 19, 2001, one year later, Bekim Kastrati was killed, an investigative journalist and regular contributor to the newspaper. He was known for covering sensitive issues related to organized crime and political developments. Kastrati was executed in an armed ambush in the village of Laushë while he was in a car with two other people.
Meanwhile, on June 25, 2005, Bardhyl Ajeti died from the wounds he sustained in the June 3 assassination attempt of that year. He was an editor, journalist, and well-known columnist for “Bota sot,” noted for his critical writings in the “Pa dorëza” column, where he addressed negative phenomena in Kosovar society without compromise. After several weeks in a coma, he died in a hospital in Milan, Italy.
Although more than two decades have passed and the investigations were initially conducted by UNMIK, then by EULEX and local justice institutions, none of these killings has been fully solved. The perpetrators and those who ordered them still have not faced justice.
On the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the newspaper’s founding, journalist Nebi Ajeti, also the nephew of Bardhyl Ajeti, remembered with honor the colleagues who lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.
According to him, the sacrifice and memory of the murdered journalists remain an obligation for today’s generation of journalists to continue the path of free, professional, and independent journalism.
“On the 31st anniversary of the founding of the newspaper ‘Bota sot,’ we bow with respect before the memory of our colleagues who lost their lives in carrying out their journalistic mission. Their sacrifice remains a powerful testimony to dedication to truth, freedom of expression, and the proper informing of the public. Even after many years, the failure to fully solve their murders continues to be perceived as an open wound, not only for the newspaper and their families, but also for society and justice in the country. Their memory obliges us to continue the path of independent journalism with integrity, professionalism, and courage. The greatest honor for them is that they are never forgotten and that the search for the truth continues, just as they did throughout their lives,” Ajeti told “Bota sot.”
Ajeti also expressed disappointment over the failure to solve the cases of murdered journalists, saying this has left room for many suspicions and question marks in public opinion.
“At the same time, we cannot hide our deep disappointment toward the responsible institutions. For more than two decades, different governments have promised to solve these cases and put justice in place, but results have been lacking. This long delay and the absence of concrete answers have left room for many suspicions and question marks in public opinion. We demand that this issue be treated with full institutional seriousness, without political influence and without calculations of day-to-day interests. Only an independent, impartial, and thorough investigation can bring justice for the victims, their families, and society itself. Until then, the wounds remain open and the responsibility to seek the truth remains our moral and professional obligation,” the journalist concluded.
On this anniversary, the murdered journalists were also remembered by “Bota sot” editor-in-chief Mimoza Lakna, who says the effort for justice has never stopped.
Lakna stresses that “Bota sot” has never compromised with evil.
According to her, it took great courage to investigate and publish the reality Kosovo was facing, especially in the first years after the war.
“The national newspaper ‘Bota sot’ has never compromised with evil and this, unfortunately, has cost it even the killing of its journalists. Not to mention the continuous attacks and threats faced by the founders and the entire staff from those bothered by what was written and spoken boldly only in ‘Bota sot.’ The sacred mission of journalism found meaning in the writings published every day in the newspaper ‘Bota sot.’ It took great courage to investigate and present the real situation Kosovo was facing, especially in the first post-war years. But the ‘consequences’ were also severe. To those whose mission was to appropriate everything good and positive in post-war Kosovo, our journalists had become a ‘thorn in the eye’,” Lakna says.
According to her, all the atrocities committed against the national newspaper “Bota sot” failed to silence the paper’s critical voice.
She adds that these events only strengthened its determination to go all the way in the search for the truth.
“The brutality against the national newspaper ‘Bota sot’ continued in 2000 with the murder of Xhemail Mustafa, its close associate, regular columnist, and the person closest to President Rugova. A year later, journalist Bekim Kastrati was also killed, and then, in 2005, Bardhyl Ajeti as well. These grave events failed to silence the critical voice of the newspaper ‘Bota sot.’ In fact, the reason to pursue the truth to the very end only grew stronger. Over the years, the anniversaries of the journalists’ murders have been marked with articles and demands for their clarification and the capture of the criminals, even though justice itself in Kosovo, for many years, was controlled by politics, and perhaps even by the very killers of the journalists of the newspaper ‘Bota sot’ and the close political associates of the historic president, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova,” the editor-in-chief says.
In the end, Lakna says that “Bota sot” has been and continues to remain the voice of families seeking justice and that it will not stop.
“Thirty-one years after its founding, the murders of journalists, namely the failure to solve them, remain the deepest wound of ‘Bota sot.’ We, as the newspaper’s staff, have never stopped seeking justice for the murders of journalists, but also for other killings with political motives. Throughout all these years, captured justice remained silent, while politicians used the political killings to settle their electoral scores. But ‘Bota sot’ was and continues to be the voice of the families seeking justice, and I believe we will not stop until justice has the final word,” Lakna concludes.
