77-year-old Hazir Haziri from Podujevo was released last night from prison in Serbia, where he had been held for about four months, although no criminal offense had been proven against him. He was arrested months ago by Serbian authorities without clear justification and, according to his family, was unjustly held in detention.
Haziri was sent to one of the central prisons in Serbia, where, as he himself recounts, he faced harsh conditions and provocations from other prisoners. He has indicated that due to these circumstances, he avoided leaving his cell for a long period.
After his release, Haziri today recounted his experiences in the presence of family and friends, describing this period as very difficult. He expressed gratitude to all those who helped and supported him during this time, including the Liaison Office of the Republic of Kosovo in Belgrade.
According to him, the experience of his generation, which during the 60s and until 2000 served long sentences in Serbian prisons under difficult conditions, has given him the strength to cope with detention.
Haziri said that, even in the last days of his stay in prison, he was informed that he would continue to be held due to allegations regarding a phone call and an expertise, but that last night he was suddenly notified of his release, which he initially did not believe.
After his release, Hazir Haziri appealed to Albanian citizens to avoid transiting through Serbia, due to the risk of groundless detentions and arrests./RTK