Prishtina, 29 August, 2024
On the eve of the International Day of Missing Persons, a table dedicated to persons who disappeared by violence during the war was organized by the Coordinating Council of Family Associations of the Disappeared in Kosovo, in cooperation with the Office of the Prime Minister, the Governmental Commission for Missing Persons, on the occasion of marking August 30 – International Day of Missing Persons.
In his opening speech, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, emphasized that every day, as the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, we reiterate our commitment not to stop seeking justice for war crimes and the discovery of the truth for the 1,595 people disappeared violently during the last war.
In marking this important day, Prime Minister Kurti stated that in order to accurately document all the crimes committed during the war in Kosovo, the Institute of Crimes Committed During the War in Kosovo has been operationalized, and the first Strategy in the Republic of Kosovo for Transitional Justice.
On this occasion, he also mentioned Kosovo’s membership in the ICMP International Commission on Missing Persons. He further added that in order to address the crimes committed during the war, murders and violent disappearances, the legal basis has been developed and the capacities of the institutions have been increased.
Then Prime Minister Kurti showed that this week, after many efforts and commitments from the government commission, preparations have begun for the excavations at the location in Kozhle between Novi Pazar and Tutin in Serbia.
“We continue to support the Governmental Commission for Missing Persons and all institutions and mechanisms engaged in this process,” he said.
In commemoration of all those who are still missing on the eve of the International Day of Violently Disappeared Persons, the Prime Minister honored all those who were forcibly disappeared during the war in Kosovo, as he added that the Republic of Kosovo will not stop until it becomes clear, until to know their fate and their location.
“Honoring the sacrifice that enabled us to enjoy freedom and the state, we are moving forward on the path of justice and equality” were the words of Prime Minister Kurti at the end of this organization.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
Honorable Ms. Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora,
Honorable Mrs. Saranda Bogujevci, Deputy Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo,
Honorable Mr. Andin Hoti, Chairman of the Government Commission for Missing Persons,
Dear Mr. Ahmet Graiçevci from the Association of Family Members of Missing Persons,
Honorable Mr. Agim Gashi, Head of Mission of the International Red Cross,
Honorable Mr. Luigj Ndou, Representative of the International Commission for Missing Persons
Dear representatives of the embassies of the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Sweden,
Dear representatives of the associations of the family members of those who disappeared violently during the war in Kosovo,
Representatives of institutions, other diplomatic missions and international organizations,
Dear attendees,
This year marks 25 years since the end of the war in Kosovo, with the epilogue of the liberation of our country and people from invading Serbia.
During the years 1998-1999, the police and military forces of Serbia, ordered by the state of Serbia, carried out hundreds of massacres and thousands of forced disappearances on Kosovo Albanians, as part of the genocidal project to exterminate our people.
‘There is no corpse, there is no crime’, was the strategy of the Serbian state to hide the crimes committed against the Albanians in Kosovo. This strategy continues to be implemented today by Milosevic’s political heirs in Belgrade.
This week, after many efforts and commitments from our government commission, preparations have begun for the excavations at the location in Kozhle between Novi Pazar and Tutin in Serbia and we hope that this is not a new attempt by the Serbian state to avoid the locations from the agenda of excavations others marked around Serbia.
Until now, the Serbian state has not shared the data from their archives for this location. Therefore, even today we repeat our request for the opening of the archives in Serbia.
Based on the agreement reached on May 2, 2023 in Brussels, we have already sent several official requests for the opening of the archive of the 37th Motorized Brigade of the Yugoslav Army, responsible for many massacres in Kosovo, especially in the Drenica region.
Today, as every day, as the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, we reiterate our commitment not to stop seeking justice for war crimes and the truth about the 1,595 people who disappeared violently during the last war.
With the institutional commitment, we are continuing the work, giving priority to clarifying the fate and location of the missing.
To address the crimes committed during the war, murders and violent disappearances, we have developed the legal basis and increased the capacities of the institutions.
In the Kosovo Police, from one sector, we have established the War Crimes Investigation Department, with 41 investigators.
With the changes we have made in the legislation, our justice institutions can pursue and punish the perpetrators of war crimes, in their absence. We need justice, for the executors of the order giver to be put behind bars. For this we need both international support and national mobilization. Serbian war criminals must be brought to justice, because these crimes do not become obsolete, nor are they forgiven. In order to accurately document all crimes, we operationalized the Institute of Crimes Committed During the War in Kosovo and approved the first Strategy of the Republic of Kosovo for Transitional Justice.
The Republic of Kosovo has already joined the ICMP International Commission on Missing Persons. Our institutional and professional capacities are always, everywhere at the service of peace and dealing with the past.
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
The Government of the Republic of Kosovo is committed to handling any information that contributes to solving the cases of missing persons.
According to the data of our Government Commission, there are about 13 locations within the territory of the Republic of Kosovo addressed in terms of evaluation excavation.
We continue to support the Governmental Commission for Missing Persons and all institutions and mechanisms engaged in this process.
We continue to support the associations of the families of the missing. We have opened the call for support of association projects worth up to 60 thousand euros. This support is dedicated to non-governmental organizations engaged in the process of clarifying the fate and location of missing persons.
In order to increase family well-being, after the first call in March, we have reopened the call for economic empowerment for women and girls who are family members of persons who are still forcibly disappeared, and who are on the pension list for persons who disappeared during the war.
Our value system ranks the families of missing persons high on the register of freedom. We have the families of the disappeared high among the priorities and in the care of the Government.
Dear attendees,
By honoring the sacrifice that enabled us to enjoy freedom and the state, we are moving forward on the path of justice and equality. On the eve of the International Day of Missing Persons, we honor all those forcibly disappeared during the war in Kosovo. The Republic of Kosovo will not stop until it is clear, until their fate and their location is known.
By illuminating the truth and holding the perpetrators accountable, lasting peace in the region can be achieved.
Thank you!
Last modified: August 30, 2024