Adem Jashari
Adem Jashari | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Fazli Jashari |
| Born | 28 November 1955 Prekaz, FPR Yugoslavia (now Prekaz i Epërm, Kosovo) |
| Died | 7 March 1998 (aged 42) Prekaz, FR Yugoslavia (now Prekaz i Epërm, Kosovo) |
| Buried | Adem Jashari Memorial Complex, Prekaz |
| Allegiance | Albania Kosova |
| Service | Kosovo Liberation Army |
| Years of service | 1991–1998 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Commands | Drenica region |
| Battles / wars | Prewar period: • Siege of Prekaz (1991) • Attack On Drenas (1993) Insurgency in Kosovo (1995–1998): • Battle of Rezalla (1997) Kosovo War: • Attacks on Likoshane and Çirez • Attack on Prekaz † |
| Awards | Hero of Kosovo National Flag Decoration |
| Memorials | Adem Jashari Memorial Complex |
| Spouse(s) | Adilje Jashari |
| Children | Kushtrim Jashari |
| Relations | Hamëz Jashari (brother) Bekim Jashari (nephew) Besarta Jashari (niece) |
Adem Shaban Jashari (born Fazli Jashari; 28 November 1955 – 7 March 1998) was one of the founders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), a Kosovo Albanian separatist militia which fought for the secession of Kosovo from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the 1990s.
Beginning in 1991, Jashari participated in attacks against the Serbian police before travelling to Albania to receive military training. Arrested in 1993, he was released at the behest of the Albanian Army and later returned to Kosovo, where he continued launching attacks against the Yugoslav establishment. In July 1997, he was convicted of terrorism in absentia by a Yugoslav court; the trial was subsequently criticized by Human Rights Watch. After several unsuccessful attempts to capture or kill him, Serbian police launched an attack against Jashari's home in Prekaz in March 1998. The battle that followed resulted in the deaths of 57 members of Jashari's family, including that of Jashari, his wife, brother and son.
Seen as the "father of the KLA", Jashari is considered a symbol of Kosovar independence by ethnic Albanians. He was posthumously awarded with the title "Hero of Kosovo" following its declaration of independence in 2008. The Adem Jashari Square near the National Theatre, the Pristina International Airport and the Adem Jashari Olympic Stadium have been named after him.