Elez Koci (Elez Sadik Koçi) was a prominent

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

n independence activist from the region of Dibër,

. He was born on 1856, in Ostren i Madh, Dibër, in the present-day municipality of Bulqizë. He attended elementary studies in Debar and in 1876 finished the theological high school in Monastir. He participated in the 1908

Congress of Monastir The Congress of Manastir ( sq, Kongresi i Manastirit) was an academic conference held in the city of Manastir (now Bitola) from November 14 to 22, 1908, with the goal of standardizing the Albanian alphabet. November 22 is now a commemorative da ...

which established the

Albanian alphabet The Albanian alphabet ( sq, alfabeti shqip) is a variant of the Latin alphabet used to write the Albanian language. It consists of 36 letters: ''Note:'' The vowels are shown in bold. The letters are named simply by their sounds, followed by ë ...

and also lead a revolt against a new Ottoman administration in the region of Diber in 1911 and was subsequently arrested and sentenced 3 years in prison for rebellion.

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

’s delicate and weakening position allowed him to be released early and he was able to participate as a delegate, in the proclamation of independence in Vlora on November 28, 1912. ElezKoçiBust

By 1915 when

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

proclaimed war against

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

and occupied northeastern territories of

, he led an armed uprising to oppose the newly

n installed institutions. Elez Koçi was planning to raise the

Albanian flag The flag of Albania ( sq, Flamuri i Republikës së Shqipërisë) is a red flag with a silhouetted black double-headed eagle in the center. The red stands for bravery, strength, valour and bloodshed, while the Eagle represents the sovereign state ...

on March 4, 1916 and proclaim independence from

. He was captured that same day by Bulgarian forces, tortured and executed along with Qazim Duka, another prominent leader. They were buried while they were still alive, in the vicinity of the Vërnicë town in Dibër. He was awarded the title “Martyr of the Fatherland” by the Executive Committee of the District of Diber on May 23, 1978. He was also awarded the Order Of Freedom, 3rd Class and has been recommended to the office of the President of the Republic of Albania, to be awarded with the Order of Scanderbeg.Albania
/ref> "Elez Koçi" High School in the town of Ostren i Madh, was named after him in 1990.

Notes

External links

Rruga e Arbërit 1
''(Albanian)''
Rruga e Arbërit 2
''(Albanian)'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Koci, Elez 1856 births 1916 deaths Albanian politicians Albanian torture victims People from Bulqizë