On the 27th anniversary of the killing of Latif Berisha and Agim Hajrizi by Serbian forces, the head of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) branch in Mitrovica, Gëzim Plakolli, said that the legacy of Latif Berisha and Agim Hajrizi is is a call to continue their cause.

Plakolli told KosovaPress that Latif Berisha and Agim Hajrizi sacrificed themselves for the freedom and independence of the country.

“Today, on this historic date for Kosovo and its future, we remember the beginning of Kosovo’s liberation, but at the same time also the pain of some families who on this day lost their loved ones. On this day, the Democratic League of Kosovo and the city of Mitrovica lost two of the main political figures of that time, Professor Latif Berisha and Agim Hajrizi, together with his mother and his son, who sacrificed themselves for the freedom and independence of Kosovo that we enjoy today. To speak about these two political figures of the LDK is not easy, and every word is too little for their political commitment to the liberation of the country, but for us as LDK, it remains only as their legacy that we continue on their path, in order to show unity and serve the citizens with dignity, making this country livable and dignified for every citizen of Mitrovica. As for our political engagement, I also want to highlight one piece of information for the citizens, especially for the citizens of Mitrovica. In the latest meetings organized by the Mitrovica Board, we as LDK proposed that the house of the late Professor Latif Berisha be included in the project plan so that it can be renovated. Where this project has stalled and how far it has gone, we do not have information. However, for the sake of clarity for the public, we as LDK made this proposal at the second meeting. Our representative on the Mitrovica Board, who is also the deputy head of the branch, proposed that this board deal with the reconstruction of Professor Latif Berisha’s house. Therefore, as citizens and as politicians, it remains for us to commemorate these political figures, every hero, every martyr, and every person who sacrificed themselves for the freedom we enjoy today, and to carry their legacy through to the end,” said Gëzim Plakolli.

On the evening of March 24, 1999, Serbian forces executed the two prominent patriots, Latif Berisha and Agim Hajrizi.

Their killing took place on the same night that NATO airstrikes began, a moment that for many citizens symbolized the beginning of the end of the war, but which for the victims’ families remains one of the heaviest memories.

Latif Berisha and Agim Hajrizi are considered among the most important figures of resistance and political engagement in Mitrovica during the 1990s.