Mejë, Gjakova, April 27, 2025
The acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, accompanied by members of the Parliament and members of the government cabinet, paid homage and laid fresh flowers at the cemetery of the 376 civilians killed in the Mejë massacre, which this year marks the 26th anniversary.
At the entrance to the memorial in Mejë, he also honored the memory of Mother Pashke, paying homage and laying fresh flowers at the stone of Mother Pashke. Today and always, we bow before the sacrifice, strength and endurance of the mothers and families of those who disappeared violently during the war.
Remembering April 27, 1999, acting Prime Minister Kurti said that Mejë is evidence of Serbia’s genocide against the Albanian people. “376 unarmed and defenseless Albanians were brutally killed 26 years ago by the military, police and paramilitary forces of Serbia. It is the greatest massacre in Mejë and Korenica, which has brought us here on the anniversary to pay homage and to meet the surviving family members, to whom we are eternally grateful for their strong resistance throughout all these years. Meanwhile, the fallen of the nation, the martyrs of the nation are the golden names in our history that are never forgotten and likewise their blood is never lost, because it is in the foundations of both the state and our freedom”, said Prime Minister Kurti.
Among the 376 people killed in the Meja massacre, the Prime Minister emphasized that there were 11 students and 20 teachers, whose bodies were buried, reburied and exhumed several times, ending up in mass graves in Serbia, in Batajnica, where a total of 744 Albanians were exhumed.
Speaking from Meja, Prime Minister Kurti said that the mass murderers, multiple war criminals, who committed crimes and murders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and earlier in Croatia, and most recently in Kosovo, must be tried and punished, either by being caught or by being tried and convicted in absentia, which is now possible.
Full speech by Prime Minister Kurti:
Twenty-six years ago, 376 unarmed and defenseless Albanians were brutally killed by the military, police and paramilitary forces of Serbia. Meja is evidence of Serbia’s genocide against the Albanian people. It is the largest massacre in Mejë and Korenica, which has brought us here on the anniversary to pay homage and to meet the surviving family members, to whom we are eternally grateful for their strong resistance throughout all these years. Meanwhile, the fallen of the nation, the martyrs of the nation, are the golden names in our history that are never forgotten and their blood is never lost, because it is in the foundations of both the state and our freedom.
Among these 376 who were killed, there were 11 students and 20 teachers, and these bodies were buried, reburied and exhumed several times, ending up in mass graves in Serbia, in Batajnica, where a total of 744 Albanians were exhumed. Four other mass graves with a total of over 200 Albanians were also discovered there, in Kizhevak, Rudnica, Petrovo Selo and Peruqac. It is interesting that these two mass graves in Peruqac and Petrovo Selo are on the borders of Serbia, one with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other with Romania. So, they have created mass graves in their lakes on the edge of their territory. In fact, Lake Peruqac is not more than 20 kilometers in a straight line from Srebrenica. The same policemen, soldiers and paramilitaries who committed crimes, murders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and earlier in Croatia, had also committed them in Kosovo. So, we are talking about multiple murderers, multiple war criminals, who must be tried and punished, either by being caught, or by being tried and punished in absentia, which is now possible.
Glory to all the fallen and martyrs of the Albanian nation!
Last modified: April 28, 2025