Civil Society Demands Investigation of an Activist’s Death in Kosovo

Country: Kosovo
December 1, 2016
News

Last week, civil society mobilized thousands of people to demand justice for the late Astrit Dehari in Pristina, Kosovo. On November 5, 2016, Dehari, the 26-year-old Vetevendosje activist, was found dead in his prison cell after being detained for 68 days without charges. In August 2016, Kosovo police had arrested Dehari and five other Vetevendosje party members because they suspected the activists were involved in a recent attack on the Kosovo Assembly. The fact that they were detained without charges has caused concerns to resurface about the abuse of pre-trial detention in Kosovo’s legal system. Vetevendosje, an opposition political party advocating for self-determination, is the “third-strongest party” in Kosovo. Since Dehari’s death, civil society activists have demanded an independent investigation into his death while supporters organized ongoing vigils and protests across Kosovo.

According to a Vetevendosje statement, Kosovo authorities have presented contradictory statements about where and how Dehari died; some have cited medical overdose while others claimed suicide. However, Dehari’s family and fellow opposition supporters claim his death was a politically motivated murder and that the state authorities are fully responsible. Activists have called upon international human rights organizations to speak up for Dehari, and “use their advocacy initiatives to demand a full, independent investigation.”

Join us in sharing a solidarity tweet with Astrit Dehari.