FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
After a Socialist Party rally, police forces were returning to Berat in their vehicles when they were shot at 150-200 meters from the Protoduarëv villa. The police armored vehicle lowered its hood and headed towards the square in the city center, but before it had gone 50-60 meters, it was hit by an anti-tank shell from the Protoduarëv villa.
SPAK is seeking life imprisonment for Fran Marashi, one of the gang members who carried out the Vajgurore Bridge massacre in 1997, killing 5 police officers. Six other State Police officers were also injured in the heavy weapons attack on the police vehicle at the time.
The trial of Fran Marashi is taking place at the GJKKO, which took over the retrial of one of the most serious events that occurred in the disastrous year of 1997.
After the retrial of the case, prosecutor Alfred Shehu read the final conclusions this Tuesday at the GJKKO, requesting life imprisonment for Fran Marashi. Now, in the next session, the defense will speak and then the court's decision on the request of the Special Prosecution. For this event, 3 life sentences have previously been given by the courts.
Fran Marashi, sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for the massacre, is being retried at the GJKKO after the Supreme Court decided to return the case to the first instance.
Marashi was extradited from Italy in 2007, while in 2009 he attempted to escape from Burrel prison together with Preng Lleshi, another member of the Ura Vajgurore gang, to draw attention to the fact that the process against him should be reopened.
In December 2024, Fran Marashi was placed in the "41-Bis" regime, in the high-security Institution for the Execution of Criminal Decisions in Peqin for a period of one year.
What happened in 1997?
Fran Marashi is accused of the incident of June 17, 1997, where five police officers were killed and 6 others were injured.
After a Socialist Party rally, police forces were returning to Berat in their vehicles when they were shot at 150-200 meters from the Protoduarëv villa. The police armored vehicle lowered its hood and headed towards the square in the city center, but before it had gone 50-60 meters, it was hit by an anti-tank shell from the Protoduarëv villa.
Eyewitness Lulzim Nexhipi said that at this moment bottles of fuel were thrown at the police van and Lek Lorja and Fran Marashi were seen getting into the van. After this, two powerful shots were heard and the van caught fire, resulting in the deaths of police officers Miltiadh Koçi, Arjan Shemuni, Asllan Selami and Ilia Bano, who were burned inside the van, and two police officers Thimi Tanku and Ylli Dhamo, who were injured.
The shooting also killed citizen Ilir Bani, who happened to be there at the time. According to the prosecution, the perpetrators of the crime were members of the gang led by the Protoduari family based in the latter's villa in Berat. After opening the warehouses, this gang, also connected to the local police, had committed criminal offenses such as violent robbery as its armed members set up checkpoints throughout the city, taking money from citizens under threat of killing them.
Those convicted for the 1997 massacre are:
1. Musa Protoduari, with life imprisonment
2. Shkelqim Protoduari, with life imprisonment
3. Fran Marashi, with life imprisonment
4. Fatbardha Protoduari, with 25 years in prison,
5. Sokol Ndreu
6. Gjovalin Ndreu
7. Preng Miri
8. Gjelosh Miri
Lini një Përgjigje