Survivors of sexual violence in Kosovo seek dignified treatment

Seeking justice, dignity, professionalism, and sincerity in dealing with the survivors of sexual violence, many activists, citizens and deputies of Kosovo joined the march in their behalf. March, which started from square “Zahir Pajaziti” to the Kosovo Assembly. Protesters have once again called for deputy Flora Brovina's resignation.

Following the publication of the photograph by Kosovo Parliamentary MP Flora Brovina, who claimed to present sexual violations during the war in Kosovo, which the photograph proved to be suspicious, there have been numerous reactions from survivors of sexual violence during the war in Kosovo, as well as from their families.

The director of the Kosovar Rehitative Centre of Torture Survivors Feride Rushiti said it remains to Kosovo's Parliament to take responsibility for the damage caused. It has quoted some of the sentences of sexually violent survivors addressed at this center.

We are gathered here to bring back the reactions of survivors of sexual violence after the photo scandal in the Parliament, which revived their trauma and restored the emotion of war to survivors of sexual violence and all society by deepening their silence and stigmatisation, and remained with the Kosovo Assembly to take responsibility for the damage done. Therefore, the survivors demand that such images do not belong to parliament, but in court, we are suffering in silence, and you strike in our pain, we want justice, but we do not want our sufferings to see our children. Our pain, your shame”, she said.

It has asked the country's institutions for survivors of sexual violence to be dignifiedly supported. She even said that she would not allow publication of a photograph to reverse an entire process.

Linda Sada, from “Medika Gjakova”, said that scandal, survivors of sexual violence, has sent them back to 1998-1999.

This event has taken place, that our work and commitment since the post-war to improve the mental and physical health of survivors has been brought back to us. Our efforts to offer access to justice and their integration into society have been shattered, you have returned us to 99. But we must show you honored politicians, that we will not stop, support, protect, respect and treat with dignity our heroes who resisted in the war and made us the history of freedom”, she said.

She said she would not allow the suffering of survivors to be misused for other purposes and interests. She has called on the prosecution to make the truth of the scandal dawn as soon as it can, which, according to her, has taken place with the photograph displayed in the Kosovo Assembly.

The brother of the survivor of sexual violence, Vasfije, Nafi Krasniqi, said that, ironically, all victims of torture were shown Thursday in the Kosovo Assembly.

We call the investigative institutions, the justice as soon as the case is cleared, the truth about this photograph, because it turns out it's not true. If it isn't true, then it's really done a huge damage to Kosovo, a huge damage to the work that's been done for the past 20 years... In those moments the Buff has really been shocked because those horrible views there, each victim finds himself there and really shocked us”, he said.

Krasniqi said that Brovina's resignation is the least it can do.

This march was organised by six organisations representing survivors of sexual violence during the Kosovo war: The Kosovar Centre for the rehabilitation of Torture Survivors KKRMT, the Kosovo Women's Network, Medica Kosova, Medica Gjakova, the Centre for Promoting Women's Rights in Drenas, the Justice Association for All. Marsh joined former Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga, British Ambassador Ruairi O'Connell, opposition deputies and many other citizens.

After the march, in a sign of solidification, banners with the call “treat me dignified”, have climbed to the siege of the Kosovo Assembly.