UPDATE: According to the latest information, Katsifas was shot twice, once on his chest and once in the head. This, however, complicates the case as such wounds can be inflicted from a very small range, something that indicates to an execution.

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According to information from Northern Epirus in the southern part of Albania, a 35-year-old member of the Greek national minority has been shot dead by the Albanian police.

The man, who has been identified as Konstantinos Katsifas, had raised a big Greek flag in honour of the Greek “OXI Day” anniversary in his village of Vouliarates.

The police, however, although the village is inhabited by Greeks of the internationally recognized ethnic Greek minority, in a provocative move lowered the flag.

Katsifas raised again, and when the police tried for a second time to lower it they begun to argue.

He then started firing warning shot against Albanian police officers.



After that he escaped to the mountainous area to avoid capture.

Police forces in Argyrokastro called for the assistance of the Albanian Police Special Forces “Rinea” and a helicopter hurried to the region from Tirana.

After the manhunt that followed, there was an exchange of fire where he shot against one of the police cars, before the special forces shot him dead.

Every year, at the “OXI Day” anniversary, the villages of the Greek Minority in Albania decorate the streets with Greek flags, as they have the right to.

However, the Albanian media constantly present this as a provocation against Albania, thus targeting the members of the minority.

This is not the first time a member of the Greek minority has been killed.

In August 2013 Aristotelis Goumas was murdered in Himara simply because he was speaking Greek in his own restaurant.

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