An academic paper co-authored by Jana Arsovska and Dimal Basha, published in 2012 and portraying a critical view of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UÇK), has sparked significant debate in Kosovo. The controversy intensified after Basha was elected Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly.
In response to public reactions, Basha issued a clarification, stating he authored only Part III of the paper and did not take responsibility for sections alleging UÇK’s funding through criminal activities, including drug trafficking.
Olivier Dehoorne, director of the journal Revue Etudes Caribéennes at Université des Antilles, where the paper was published, confirmed to Gazeta Express that in academic terms, the publication is considered a joint work.
“When a paper is submitted collectively, the journal does not focus on specific sections or who wrote what. Responsibility lies with the authors themselves,” Dehoorne explained.
He added that the journal has accepted Basha’s request to remove his name and Part III of the paper, in agreement with co-author Arsovska.
“Recently, in this specific article, as soon as we received a request from the author to remove his name and Part III, in agreement with his co-author, we fulfilled their request,” Dehoorne concluded.
