2,800 Albanian families are affected by vendettas in the North of Albania. They live shut away, in fear of reprisals from an opposing family. Blinisht is a small village in northern Albania where several families live stuck in their homes because of revenge. There are always few people walking in the streets. © Stefano Schirato
Rosa, 40, and her son Edi, 16, in Kalmet, Albania. Edi is stuck in his house because of a vendetta from four years ago. His father killed two neighbors in a dispute over severed power lines and despite the fact that the father has been killed by the family of enemies, Edi risks the second revenge because his father has killed two people. © Stefano Schirato
Edi’s name written by himself on the entrance gate of his house. © Stefano Schirato
Marku Pietri, 70 years old. His story is full of emotion when he remembers that they arrested his brother wrongly accused of murder. It was 1997. Since then, Marku has been stuck in his house in Bathore, Albania out of fear of revenge. © Stefano Schirato
Dila, 31 years old, in Rrila, Albania. Her husband is in jail because he killed his neighbors over very old problems. Dila is going out of her mind. Her male son has escaped abroad and her daughter Diana, 7 years old, risks her life every time she sets foot outside her home. © Stefano Schirato
A drawing of Diana who is locked in her house for fear of vendetta. Her father is in jail because he killed his neighbors over ancient disagreements. © Stefano Schirato
Entrance gate of a house in Rrila, Albania. Dila and her daughter Diana live hidden in the grandmother’s house. © Stefano Schirato
Agim, 42 year old, lives in Lheja, Albania. He injured a fellow in the stomach with a knife and he spent four years in prison. Despite his years in prison, he remains under vendetta with the family of the enemy. © Stefano Schirato
Nusha, 17 years old, is afraid to leave her house in Kalmet since his father killed a woman following a dispute over an irrigation canal in close vicinity of the house. For the past two years she hasn't attended school. © Stefano Schirato
Institute quarter, Tirana, Albania. © Stefano Schirato
Kiras quarter is considered the quarter of the vendetta. It's like a ghetto in which people have been hiding in houses because their family blood makes them possible targets. © Stefano Schirato
In December 2007, Besnik argued with his cousin for trivial reasons. The fight escalated and Besnik stabbed him, killing him. Besnik is in a jail, but his family (above) will have to serve the revenge. Since his children cannot go to school, their teacher (Leka, on the right) visits their house to give them lessons. © Stefano Schirato
Play time, Kalment, Albania. © Stefano Schirato
Cristian Luli, 17 years old. The Luli family has been stuck at home since 1995 due to their fear of the Vukaj family’s revenge. © Stefano Schirato
Dede Zef PjetergJoka, 45 years old. He lost his brother in a bank robbery. Dede is waiting for a good moment for revenge. © Stefano Schirato
Almost every Albanian family has some weapons in the house: Kalashnikovs, handguns. Anyone can buy guns on the street, without a license. © Stefano Schirato
Halil was injured in a brawl after getting shot with a Kalashnikov in the back of his leg. After three operations, he managed not to lose his leg. His family was supposed to avenge him but through a broker of peace, they have forgiven the enemy family. © Stefano Schirato
Sosse Preka has 2 sons, Noj, 18, and Florian, 16. Five years ago, her husband killed a neighbor. For 20 years he will remain in jail. His sons are stuck at home for fear of blood vengeance. © Stefano Schirato
Behije Kadri, 73, shows pictures of her two sons, Besim and Ramazan, who were killed in front of their house 8 years ago. Besim and Ramazan wanted to elope with the two daughters of a neighboring family without marrying them. The uncle of the two girls found out and killed Ramazan and Besim in front of their children, with a Kalashnikov. The uncle fled abroad and the Kadri family wants revenge. © Stefano Schirato
Lina Hili, 42 years old. Her husband, Ded Hili, was killed in 1999 during a robbery. Lina is a widow with two children. Guezim, Lina and Ded's son, should avenge the killing of his father but he is willing to forgive. Still, a small town, not seeking revenge is perceived badly. It shows a lack of courage and pride, a lack of respect for the rules and for the village as a whole. © Stefano Schirato
In Albania, the centuries-old tradition of blood vengeance has seen a renewal over the past decade. The void in the law-and-order system, left by the collapse of Communism, sent many Albanians back to the common laws of their tribal roots. These laws include the right for a family member to avenge a murder by killing a member of the murderer’s family. This can be read in the article 8 of the Kanun, a set of traditional Albanian laws.
