Ali Ukaj He did not know. He did not know that life would be so harsh for him, so harsh as to lead him to a tragedy that shook the entire Albanian press. If he were alive, he would say: “Oh, why are you making such a fuss about me...”. He knew that he was a journalist and an information professional, and this was immediately apparent behind his glasses, where two alert eyes shone; nevertheless, he preferred to be modest, not to make too much noise about what he really was: a “fëmashmit”. Ali Ukaj, one of the young journalists of ... [?] a different spirit, and it was precisely this idea that he served until the final minutes of his life. Friendship, smiles, a world without limits, absurdities or restrictions—this was the life Ali Ukaj dreamed of serving. The “little” journalist, whom criminal hands treacherously tore away from the heart of that world in which he had just begun to feel at ease, had in fact, perhaps without even realizing it himself, become an example of active and honest journalism. He was among the first journalists to write a report from his own home. “Two weeks undercover in Kosovo” is and remains one of the pieces of journalism ... [?]

The minister denounces the “conspiracy” in Parliament “Elements of the former government are preparing to foment unrest” The PD responds: “This is a platform for violence against our people” Ceka drops a bombshell: “An armed insurrection is being prepared in the North.” PD elements are accused Harsh response from the PD: “This is a platform for violence against the Albanian opposition and for national division”

Yesterday, Parliament voted Tiranë - With 114 votes in favor, none against and 3 abstentions, the Nano government won Parliament’s confidence. The debate on the platform presented by the Socialist Prime Minister to lead the country out of the crisis began at 9 a.m. The only opposition voices were those of Godo and Durrësit. On page 2 READERS Today “Gazeta Shqiptare” is published with only four pages. Because of the tragedy surrounding the death of “Gazeta Shqiptare” journalist Ali Ukaj, the editorial staff was unable to manage a normal working day. Edisud s.p.a., publisher of Gazeta Shqiptare, expresses its profound grief over the tragic killing of journalist Ali Ukaj. While awaiting the police and investigators to shed light on the causes and those responsible for this cruel and unprecedented crime, Edisud once again conveys to all Albanian colleagues a message of solidarity for their continued work in this difficult moment and sends Ali’s family its most sincere condolences.

REPORTAGE

The police station chief and the local authorities respond TIRANË—Only the shadow of “Alba” remains in Vlorë. Few knew anything about the Italian army’s lightning-fast departure from the “capital” of the Albanian rebellion. When they arrived, people had to be convinced; indeed, the Italian prime minister Prodi himself had come there, promising not only to recover the bodies of the drowned Albanians but also to open a consulate on the Adriatic coast. When the tricolour flag was planted atop the green barracks, it was said that “Italians are always welcome in Albania”. And in fact, the few months of living together showed this to be true, although the end lost the “opportunity” to show the Italians themselves that they would be seen off with dignity, just as they had been welcomed. On page 3 From the departure of “Alba” forces

REPORTAGE PESHKOPI - Miles of fear from Tiranë to Peshkopi. The stretches of road filled with anxiety and fear begin just a few kilometres past Milot. Organized and spontaneous crime has taken to the roads, seeking to impose its own law on the drivers of cars and passengers travelling north. Anxiety, insecurity and fear last for several hours from Milot to Klos. Farther on, the national road seems “calmer” all the way to distant Peshkopi. The story of this anxious journey begins in Milot. Armed drivers try to reassure passengers about the security measures in place along the route. A few Kalashnikovs under the seat, someone even has grenades, and a convoy of vans follows one after another. These are the anti-crime measures of northern drivers, who, even as they try to calm the passengers, still count the minutes and measure the kilometres until they reach their destination. On page 3

MILAN - She is only 16 years old, Elvira, and the gaze of young people; the beautiful girl, it seems, has not been offered anything else pleasant so far. For 8 months, forced and treated like a [unclear], she has spent her days on Milan’s sidewalks, offering her slender body, not at all with the “desire” of a prostitute. Her only wish: one day in November, as she was leaving school, she was raped and then drugged. In Italy, today she seems to have escaped thanks to the generosity of an Italian. On page 3

Parties and associations express grief and protest TIRANA - Numerous statements and faxes arrived yesterday at the offices of Gazeta Shqiptare to express grief and indignation over the murder of the master journalist and our dear colleague Ali Ukaj. Their senders include various political parties, journalists’ associations and other institutions. Albania’s political world and the press have expressed their concern and addressed the Government with a unified demand: to take measures to solve the case, catch the perpetrators and bring them to justice. As soon as news of the murder of our colleague Ali Ukaj spread, responses came in, including faxes from the headquarters of the Democratic Party, the Association of Professional Journalists, the Journalists’ Union of Albania, the Ndal Group, the Albanian Human Rights Committee, the editorial office of the newspaper “Republika”, the Journalism Department at the University of Tirana, etc. The parties’ and associations’ statements are understandable and consistent. But we, colleagues and friends of the journalist, find their content almost identical: grief over the loss of the life of a worker for freedom of expression, and a demand that the Nano Government quickly find and hold the perpetrators of this crime accountable, and restore the journalist’s standing. Some of these statements emphasize that the murder of our unforgettable colleague Ali Ukaj marks the only case of a journalist being killed in Albania this year, if one considers the last case to be the final one. Four years ago, in an act of violence in the middle of the street, an ATA journalist lost his life. Many months have passed since then, and the killer remains unpunished. Many months have passed ... For us, the journalist’s colleagues and friends, this is an alarm against crime. The murder of a journalist is a different degree of disillusionment, one that is difficult for Albanian civil society to overcome while it remains under threat from crime. It is this chaos, this perverse climate of freedom for criminal thugs who rob freely, assault and rob freely, assault and rob freely; it is this climate polluted by unpunished crime that created a suitable environment for those who, in the middle of the night and without witnesses, took the life of our dear friend. This tragic loss should make all of us—citizens, journalists and politicians—work together to restore peace to Albania. That is what Ali wanted, too. The editorial staff

TIRANA - The gruesome murder took place at around 01:30, in the early hours of Tuesday. After being savagely beaten, Ukaj had injuries to his head and wounds inflicted with a screwdriver. He was found in the morning by police, following a report from some neighbors. Around 10 o’clock, his body was taken to the morgue at Tirana hospital, where it still is today. Much about this ugly crime remains a mystery. The police have only said that several people have been detained, who had again been in the company of the deceased, but there is no information about what they may have said. A relative of Ukaj has also been detained; he had been with him on Monday evening. His neighbors remember hearing cries and screams in his apartment at around 1 a.m. Meanwhile, the police say he must have arrived home around midnight and been accompanied by the person who was with him. The investigation is continuing, and the police say they will soon provide an answer to this mystery.

TIRANA - When the journalism lecture hall welcomed the second cohort of new students in October 1993, a tall young man with glasses and a backpack, from Deçan in Kosovo, stood out among them. Ali Ukaj had studied philosophy and sociology, had experienced prison in Serbia, and had found himself caught up in the whirlwind of events. From “Gazeta Shqiptare”, where he began working, readers were able to follow him through his articles on Kosovo and the national cause. His daily school-newspaper routine seemed to make Ali grow even more. Ali was everywhere; among journalists, students or friends from Kosovo, he would often say: “To tell the truth, I’ve started to forget where I was born, here or in Kosovo.” Today is the final day for the fourth-year students. It is the day when each of them, after taking the exam and defending their thesis, feels proud that after four years they have made it. But this atmosphere, so ordinary in schools and universities around the world, is suddenly cut short when a colleague from “Gazeta Shqiptare” announces: “Ali is no longer alive.” No one wants to believe it. Everyone remembers his last conversation with him: “No, I’m not leaving the Faculty. I’d rather leave the diploma until next year...” And indeed, the beloved student Ali Ukaj could not live out the rest of his life; he would have continued to reflect here, remembered for his keen understanding and pronounced communication skills. is suddenly cut short when a colleague from [The article text in the strip on the left is partially cut off at the top edge.] ... was the press and information, and this is what we understand, since behind his glasses shone two elongated eyes; nevertheless, he preferred to be modest, so as not to make too much noise about what had been entirely normalized. Ali Ukaj, one of Albania’s young journalists, a man who wrote many, many articles about Albania, Albania and the Albanians and their troubles, is no longer here. In Ali’s place remain a faint gleam of lenses and boundless kindness. Something many people in life are missing today... Ali knew how to radiate kindness; that is why today, now that Ali is gone, so many people are shedding tears. In these times of grief and tragedies, we have become accustomed to receiving many sad stories. All too often our newsrooms receive reports of murders or frightened children, stories of young women in despair who end up as prostitutes on Europe’s boulevards, people who curse through tears the thing they love more than anything in the world: their country. We had become used to all of this, and more than used to it, although a pearl of a tear would sometimes glimmer in the eyes of the toughest among us. Ali was precisely one of them. One of those who were also moved when his name was added to the list of the dead. One of those journalists who signed every text of grief, which, once published in the press, was always met with a natural smile. Ali Ukaj, a student who had endured prisons, was capable of bearing a smile. In two days, the criminal hand has understood that it has killed a smile. In fact, it was a vain claim. Kindness can never be killed. From every corner of the city, the real victims are those who suffer for our Ali, not the other way around; that is why the gleam of his eyes will continue to shine for years and years, still giving kindness. His dream will come true. There is no other way. Carlo Bollino, Fatos Bashaku, Armand Mero, Edmond Laçi, Ilir Alia, Andrea Stefami, Sokol Balla, Armand Shkullaku, Hektor Pustina, Mirela Borova, Aleksandër Frangu, Mentor Kika, Lorenc Vangjeli, Rezear Xhaxhiu, Altan Bizhga, Orest Musaj, Olsi Meksi, Dorjana Lika, Mihal Koçi, Arjeta Rrudha, Adrian Angoni, Fatos Qatip, Arben Hiko, Dritan Lusha, Ardit Tafa, Çenë Tmerri, Blerim Koka, Zamir Xhoxhi, Alba Maloku, Aleksandër Furtshi, Elio Elini, Shpëtim Nzarako, Alfred Peza. In fact, perhaps without even realizing it himself, he was an example of active and honest journalism. He was one of the rare journalists who wrote a report from his own home. “Two Weeks from Kosovo” is, and will remain, one of the works of the new Albanian journalism. Precisely because Ali Ukaj, the victim of tragedy, thanks to his big heart radiated something we had begun to forget: noble patriotism, a real homeland, mother, father, a home, and then a suffering without which it is difficult for people to live in this life. We, his older friends and colleagues, will find it difficult and painful—terribly painful—to come to terms with this “news”, however sensational it may be. None of us will accept the fact that Ali no longer exists. Because in truth, he will continue to be among us. He will continue to be here through his honesty, through his thirst to live well, through his wish to see everyone doing better, and through the distinctive brightness of his eyes. We may not be mistaken this time; we believe there is no fine name capable of holding the memory of a smile given naturally. Ali Ukaj, the journalist, the come true. There is no other way.