US congressional presents draft resolution to honour activist Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman

The document also calls on the United States to engage to ensure that Serbia's government investigates and prosecutes all those responsible for sexual violence during the Kosovo war.

Democratic Allred is a representative of the state of Texas, and Mrs. Krasniqi-Goodman is a resident of this state.

Allred presented the draft resolution to the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Commission. After reviewing the Commission, the document is transferred to the House of Representatives.

“I am very inspired by Vasifje's courage to share her painful story and shed light on the reality of the sexual violence committed by the Serbian army and police during the Kosovo war,” said Mr. Allred.

“The incidents of sexual violence occurring in Ukraine are a clear reminder that we must not forget past tragedies and shed light on the stories of survivors so that we can work on identifying responsibility and make sure that this never happens again. That is why this resolution is so important and I look forward to working to its support and approval by the entire House of Representatives”, Mr. Allred said in a statement.

Krasniqi-Goodman said presenting the draft resolution condemning rape as a weapon of war and stressing the need for justice and accountability, is a moment of pride for it, as well as for <x0...220,000 survivors of sexual war crimes in Kosovo and worldwide”.

I am extremely grateful (members of the Allred Congress) and [project-resolution] co-possors are raising their voices in support of survivors and our request for justice. Every step in our fight gives hope to others and encourages them to rise and continue the fight”, she said.

Krasniqi-Goodman praised the commitment of the “Rally for Her Justice” movement on the issue of survivors of sexual violence in war and its role in presenting the draft resolution.

Mr. Allred's press statement says that gender-based and sexual violence continues to be a shameful part of the modern war “sic is recently testified to by the terrible atrocities in the province's Buka”.

Similarly, it says in the statement, while the US and their allies work to collect evidence and bring to account the perpetrators of war crimes in today's conflicts, “is important to examine lessons from the past”.

The draft resolution was also supported by the Democratic members of Congress, Adriano Espalita and Ritchie Torres from New York, Juan Vargas from California and Marc Vesey from Texas.

Days earlier, on May 11th, Cransiqi-Goodman accompanied by other sex violence activists had a meeting in Congress with lawmaker Colin Allred and ten other lawmakers. They had the opportunity to listen closely to her confession of how she was violated by Serb forces when she was 16 years old and her battle for justice, years after the end of the Kosovo war during 98-99.

Lawmakers encouraged Krasniqi-Goodman to continue its commitment to justice, because as they put it, this is the only way to win this battle and help other victims face the horrors they have experienced in that period. /The Voice of America