Paklek, 17 April, 2023
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with the President of the country Vjosa Osmani Sadriu and the Speaker of the Assembly, Glauk Konjufca, paid tribute and placed fresh flowers, in Paklek of the Municipality of Drenas, on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the massacre in this village.
After the tributes, Prime Minister Kurti said that the Paklek massacre is evidence of Serbia’s genocide in Kosovo, recalling that 54 Albanian civilians were killed here 24 years ago, because they were Albanians and because they wanted to live free and in peace in their land.
“The killing was not enough, but the burning of the corpses followed, which means that the plan was to exterminate not only lives, but also beings. Therefore, the massacre of Paklek is a living testimony of the genocide of Serbia even to this day”, said Prime Minister Kurti.
Prime Minister Kurti emphasized that next month it will be four years since the Assembly of the Republic made it possible for the State Prosecutor’s Office, for the special prosecutors, to follow and then the justice system to try Serbian criminals in absentia. “So next month it will be four years since such an opportunity exists. And for these crimes committed during the war, which are both genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, there should be justice for the victims, but also state and international punishment for those who executed them and those who ordered them”, he said.
After the tributes, Prime Minister Kurti visited the house museum, where on April 17, 1999, 24 years ago, Serbian forces killed 54 innocent citizens. 25 of those killed were under the age of 18. Of these, 18 people were children, younger than 12 years old. Among them, five babies from six months to two years old. Lirie Muqolli was only six months old.
Surviving family members recounted how the Albanian civilians, from the Muqolli, Elshani, Caraku and Hoxha families, were leaving their homes, but the Serbian police ordered them to return there, fired hand grenades into the rooms where they were staying, and then with bursts of machine guns. And in the end, he also burned their bodies, which, unable to be identified, were buried in a common grave.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech to the media:
The Paklek massacre is evidence of Serbia’s genocide in Kosovo. Here, 24 years ago, 54 Albanian civilians were killed, because they were Albanians and because they wanted to live free and in peace in their land.
Of these 54 killed, 25 were under the age of 18, while 18, that is, every third was under the age of 12. Five were babies from 6 months to 2 years old, while Lirie Muqolli was only 6 months old as a baby when she was killed in this massacre.
As President Osmani said, the killing was not enough, but the burning of the corpses followed, which means that the plan was to exterminate not only lives, but also being. Therefore, the massacre of Paklek is a living testimony of the genocide of Serbia even to this day.
In the coming month, it will be four years since, in the Assembly of the Republic, we enabled the State Prosecutor’s Office, the special prosecutors, to pursue and then the justice system to try Serbian criminals in absentia. So next month it will be four years since such an opportunity exists. And for these crimes committed during the war, which are genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, there should be justice for the victims, but also state and international punishment for those who executed and those who ordered them.
Glory to all martyrs and martyrs of our nation!
Last modified: April 18, 2023