I am Luljeta Kolaj, the sister of Simon Dedaj. My brother was wrongfully convicted 20 years ago and my life has been put on pause ever since.
On June 21st, 1996, my brothers, Simon and Victor Dedaj, went to a birthday party at Scores on the Upper East side of Manhattan. Scores, a popular nightclub infamous in the 1990’s for it’s celebrity guest list and underworld ties. On that fateful night in June, Simon, Victor, and Ali Zherka stopped by to wish an old friend happy birthday. As the brother's were leaving, a fight broke out and Victor and Simon were brutally attacked by two bouncers. But this was nothing new for a nightclub with a history of assaulting patrons by staff and other shady characters. What was new, was patrons fighting back. Victor Dedaj later admitted that he panicked as he shot and killed both bouncers during the melee.
The events of that night left Simon in an impossible situation, return home and tell the authorities what happened or protect his older brother and refuse to do or say anything that would potentially hurt Victor. Needless to say, Simon's loyalty to his brother and the values he grew up with won; Simon Dedaj was a man on the run.
Eventually, both of my brothers were taken into custody. Through two trials Simon was unable to defend himself, having to rely on his brother to boldly tell the truth to the jury. He then testified that he committed the crime, but the prosecution showed no interest in the facts or the truth.
The Scores case was one of the most highly publicized cases of its time and numerous articles appeared in the press, vilifying Simon and Victor.
As his sister, it’s the hardest thing knowing my brother has sat in jail all these years for a crime he did not commit. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about what he’s been through and is currently going through. It’s hard to believe that the lies, false witnesses and prosecutorial misconduct are all to blame for convicting my brother. How is this justice when an innocent man sits in prison? The truth must come out for what they did to him. They didn’t only ruin his life but they ruined mine as well. They took away my brother for 20 years unjustly. They took away the uncle to my children and they took away his life. They can never make up for the years, time and heartache they’ve caused by wrongfully convicting an innocent man. My son, the oldest of four, was 7 years old when his uncle was taken away from him, he is now 27. Simon missed every accomplishment his nephew achieved. Not only did he miss his high school and college graduation, but also the rest of his nieces and nephews. My youngest daughter was born while he was in prison, and the only uncle she got to know was behind bars. She grew up constantly hearing about his innocence and there isn’t a day that goes by where she doesn’t picture how different her life would’ve been if her uncle was part of her life. With nieces and nephews, he missed the childhood of each one. He missed being an uncle, a brother and even a son. Now, his father has passed away knowing his son is innocent, something they can never give back. He has never spent one holiday with his family all together, and every gathering felt empty. If the district attorney actually seeked the truth instead of seeking to convict, Simon would’ve been found innocent. We won’t rest until everybody knows what my brother has been through and continues to goes through, until he comes home.
The money will go towards a criminal defense lawyer who is just as determined as our family to finally bring Simon home. The first $15,000 will go towards the retainer fee and to gather and go through all transcripts from both trials that will expose the truth behind the case. After the lawyer extracts all injustices involved within the case, the final amount needed to file the appropriate motion to successfully overturn my brother's conviction will be determined.
We need your help and support to prove my brother's innocence and end the 20-year long nightmare that my brother and family have endured. Please consider giving as little or as much as you can, any amount will be appreciated to bring my brother home.
We know with your help we can pay for the lawyer and give my innocent brother his freedom and life back that was unjustly taken away from him. You will not only be helping to save my brother's life, but validating mine as well.
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