Mitrovica, 13 March 2024
“On this 25th anniversary, we have come to Mitrovica to honor the memory of the civilians killed by Serbian forces in the Green Market Massacre in 1999. As we express our sorrow and respect for the lives lost, we emphasize the necessity for justice for the victims of this massacre and hundreds of other massacres committed by Serbia in Kosovo”, said the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti.
Prime Minister Kurti emphasized that it is our duty to never forget the dark past and work for our democratic Republic, where the main principles are respect for human rights and justice.
“The grenade is assumed to have been fired from a military facility where Serbian forces were stationed during the 1998-99 war. Today, the Police Camp of the Republic of Kosovo stands there, which bears the name of the hero Enver Zymeri, and which guarantees security, as a public good that is offered to all citizens without distinction”, emphasized Prime Minister Kurti.
On this day of remembrance, we cannot help but think of the massacres in the Markale market in Sarajevo, which was one of the most serious crimes during the siege of the city in 1992-1995, said the Prime Minister, adding that these massacres in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina are evidence of Serbia’s genocidal actions.
Together with the Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, the Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi, the Executive Director of the Institute for Crimes Committed During the War in Kosovo, Atdhe Hetemi, as well as members of the Assembly, Prime Minister Kurti laid flowers in front of the memorial plaque of this massacre.
On March 13, 1999, in the massacre of the Green Market in Mitrovica, seven civilians were killed by throwing grenades from the Serbian forces: Abaz Mecinaj (1944), Ahmet Strana (1941), Elizabeta Hasani (1994), Ragip Bajrami (1946), Rrahim Peci (1934), Sevdije Selani (1949) and Valdete Strana (1977); and 128 others were injured, many of whom remained disabled.
Last modified: March 13, 2024