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Podujevo 1999 – Beyond Reasonable DoubtIt is noted that the witness will testify in his mother tongue, Albanian, withthe assistance of court interpreter Rugova Vegim, whose interpretation willbe put directly into the record.“I came to testify about the things, which happened on 24 December 1998.I would like to speak of the cleansing that Serb units conducted in my village.Three days before the NATO bombing began, we went to find shelterat my friends Seladin and Safet. We went to find shelter with our families.We were sitting there in the house of Selatin Bogujevci’s uncle in thecentre of Podujevo during the first night of the bombing. I am trying to saythat we left our houses on 24 December 1998 because of the cleansing.Serb forces came and drove us out of the village of Obranča, not just me,but all residents of that village. As of 24 December until three days beforethe bombing began, we were at my brother-in-law’s house in the villageof Dubnica. We stayed there until Serb forces came from the border withSerbia and started cleansing the village of Dubnica. On that occasion, Serbforces killed several people and children. Then we went to my friend SelatinBogujevci. When the bombing began, then Serb forces stared shootingwithout any control; they started raging and breaking shops. This destroyingand killing lasted for three days.Then, on 28 March 1999, my father Hamdi Duriqi called me to talk to me.I was lying with my children in the house owned by Selatin Bogujevci’suncle. My daughter Dafina was sleeping on my right side; my older sonArbor 52 was laying by my legs, while my wife Fitnete Duriqi lay on theside with another daughter and our 21-month-old baby boy. The personspresent in that house together with me were: my father Hamdi, motherIsma 53 , wife Fitnete, older daughter Dafina who was nine years old, olderson Arbor 54 who was seven years old, other daughter Mimoza, and myyoungest son Arbion 55 who was 21 months old.My father came and informed us that the neighbourhood was surroundedby Serb forces and that they were breaking everything and yelling on52 Arbër Duriqi53 Esma Duriqi54 Arbër Duriqi55 Albion Duriqi163