Dr. Izet Hima was a respected physician in Gjakova. Police officers wearing masks killed him in his family home in the Stara Čaršija neighborhood around midnight on March 24. They forced open the courtyard gate and entered the house, demanding his vehicle registration, documents, and money.

His wife, Magbula, also handed over gold — they took everything. One officer ordered the children to go outside, while another objected. His wife tried to lead Izet out, but one officer grabbed her by the hair and pushed her into the yard. She went out into the street with the children and then heard gunshots from inside the house. The next day, she returned and found Izet dead.

Two days later, the SUP in Gjakovë filed a criminal complaint against NATO, claiming that Izet Hima, Qamil, and Nexhmedin Zherka had been killed by the impact of a rocket and the resulting explosion. In May 1999, Izet’s body, along with bodies from 87 other graves at the city cemetery, was transferred to mass graves in Batajnica.

His remains were returned to Kosovo in 2005. The autopsy report prepared by international experts concluded that the cause of death was gunshot wounds to the head, body, and left forearm.

Sources

https://www.recom.link/en/1999-chronology-of-violence-march-20-june-9-march-24-1999/

https://1997-2001.state.gov/regions/eur/990407_scheffer_kosovo.html