Justice sought for victims of sexual violence during Kosovo war

Organisations representing victims of sexual violence during the war in Kosovo, the people's elected and former president, Atifete Jahjaga, have marched today from the Kosovo Assembly to the “Heroina” in Pristina. There they have paid tribute and declared that institutions must work to bring to justice all criminals who have committed these works during the recent war in Kosovo.

 Women MP and organisations have also joined Nafi Krasniqi, who heads the organisation “Justice for All”.

 Vasfije Krasniqi's brother, the woman who publicly confesss experiences of sexual violence committed during the war, said only by punishing criminals can such acts be prevented.

 We are united to call on our institutions for this day not only to be marked ceremonially to prevent violence, but our institutions to join this war in order to bring justice. We believe that only by punishing those who committed this crime will this crime be prevented. We call on our institutions to work so that the leaders of the works can bring them to justice and they can get the sentence deserved” he said.

After the arrangements made to memorialize “Heroina”, Kosovo Parliament Speaker Vjosa Osmani called for justice and for citizens' institutions to do their best for the leaders of the works to be brought to justice.

 “Today shouldn't be the only day when we raise our voice primarily to seek support, to demand the elimination of prejudices in relation to all survivors of sex violence in wartime, but above all to seek out loud, determined voice, justice. Justice already lacks even the 21 thousand women and men in Kosovo who have experienced the worst as a result of the recent war in Kosovo, but also lacks many other victims on the side of the world, in honour of which even today this day is marked”, Osmani said.

 The former president of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, said that despite the work done on the issue of dealing with and protecting victims of sexual violence during the war in Kosovo, there are obstructions of justice, since no one has yet claimed responsibility for the committed crime.

 It is our institutional duty and our social obligation that all those criminals who have committed these macabre crimes to survivors of sexual violence during the war be brought to justice. The time has come, that 21 years after the end of the war we don't even have the only head of these crimes that have been brought to justice and that has been faced with justice for these macabre crimes that have done unjustly to Kosovo's civilian and innocent population, and it is our duty as institutions and societies to confront our past, because our peace will not be complete<1> she said.

 She said she cannot enjoy Kosovo's independence if there is no peace in each person in Kosovo affected by such events.

 Because of the pandemic, Kosovo institutions have not marked the International Day for the elimination of sexual violence in conflict, with ceremonies within objects.

 A “installation was introduced on this day and place flowers near the memorial “