Victim's Family Speaks Out in KLA Execution Case

Hajriz Hoxha, the brother of Ramiz Hoxha, one of two Kosovo Albanian men executed for alleged treachery by the KLA in 1998, told BIRN on Sunday that he had seen the masked men he believed to be the killers and had new information which could reveal their identities.

Ramiz Hoxha and Selman Binishi were murdered on October 2, 1998 near the village of Bellanica in the Malisheva/Malisevo municipality. The KLA issued a statement afterwards saying they were killed because they were "Serb collaborators".

Limaj, the commander of 121st Brigade of the KLA, who now leads the opposition NISMA (Initiative for Kosovo) party and is an MP in the Kosovo Assembly, was charged last month with failing to prevent the two men's killings. He denies any wrongdoing.

Hajriz Hoxha told BIRN Kosovo's 'Justice in Kosovo' television show that he had seen the masked men in KLA uniforms who took his brother, and said that one of them was called by the nickname 'Face'.

It is unclear how many KLA members had this nickname, although one who did was mentioned in a previous war crimes case in which Limaj and nine other ex-fighters were accused of abusing prisoners at a KLA detention centre in Klecka.

However, when contacted by BIRN, 'Face' denied having anything to do with the Malisheva/Malisevo killings and pointed out that anyone could have used the same nickname.

Victim Ramiz Hoxha's son, Enver Hoxha, who was a KLA member, told BIRN meanwhile that after he realised someone had taken his father, he got his gun and drove towards the village of Banja, as he was told that they went in that direction.

Hoxha said that when he got to a place called Shupa e Banjes, he met Limaj and asked him: "Mr Fatmir, did you see a car with masked people in it passing by here...