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Death of Aristotelis Goumas

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The death of Aristotelis Goumas took place on August 12, 2010, in Himara, Albania, when the motorcycle of 37-year-old ethnic Greek shopkeeper Aristotelis Goumas was hit by a car driven by three Albanian men from Vlore. According to eyewitnesses the death occurred after an altercation in Goumas' store, when the three men demanded that Goumas not speak to them in Greek in his own store, which Goumas refused. The suspects reportedly drove over the victim at least twice to make sure he was dead.
The death sent shockwaves through the ethnic Greek community of Albania, and demonstrators blocked the main highway from Vlore to Saranda, which passes through the region. The event was reported by all major news outlets in both countries, and was strongly condemned by both the Greek and Albanian governments. Three suspects have been charged with murder and are awaiting trial.

Contents Incident

On the morning of Thursday, August 12, 2010, three Albanian men from the town of Vlorë accosted Goumas in his store in the predominantly ethnic Greek town of Himara, and demanded that he not speak to them in Greek according to eyewitnesses.^[1][2][3] According to eyewitness reports, Goumas refused, resulting in an altercation.^[1] The three men then assaulted Goumas.^[1][2][3] Several hours later, as Goumas was leaving his store, patrons at the store saw the three men leave in a hurry.^[1] Suspecting something to be amiss, friends of the 37-year-old followed them and found Goumas a short distance outside the town lying bleeding on the pavement, his motorcycle bearing marks of a hit and run.^[1] According to police reports, the suspects had rammed Goumas' motorcycle with their Audi, injuring him fatally.^[1][2][3] The suspects reportedly drove over the victim twice, so as to make sure he was dead, then fled the scene.^[1][4]

[edit] Reaction

The death and lack of immediate police response sparked outrage throughout the predominantly ethnic Greek^[5] region of Himarë.^[2][3] Demonstrators blocked the main highway between the towns of Vlorë and Sarandë using rocks,^[2][3] while municipal workers in the town of Himara held a work stoppage.^[3] According to the Himariote Union, the death of Goumas was the culmination of a series of recent provocations in the town of Himara by Albanian nationalists.^[1]

Local Greeks further called for the replacement of certain individuals in the Himara police force, stating that attacks against ethnic Greeks have occurred frequently in the past and been duly reported, without the local police authorities showing the slightest interest.^[4]
Initial reports in the Albania news media characterized the incident as a traffic accident resulting from road rage.^[2][3][4] However, Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha issued an unusually strong condemnation of the incident, calling the incident an "act of extreme and blind fanaticism" and demanding that police authorities make every effort to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.^[1][3][4][6] The death of Goumas was also condemned by the main opposition Albanian Socialist Party and the Socialist Movement for Integration party.<sup>[3]

see:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Aristotelis_Goumas</sup>