Kurti recalls the victims of the 3-4 February massacre in Mitrovica: We engage in justice for them

The country's prime minister, Albin Kurti, has remembered this anniversary, the February 3rd-4rd massacre in Mitrovica.

He says that, for those killed by the tortured as well as those expelled from the northern part of Mitrovica during February 2000, there must be justice.

Serbia's” Night of Passing from 3 February to 4 February 2000, Serbia's structure and criminal groups carried out a criminal campaign aimed at ethnic cleansing of Mitrovica by local Albanians. That night they killed 10 Albanians and injured 25 others, while dozens of residents were tortured. In the following days during February, Serbian criminal groups supported by Belgrade were forcibly expelled from their homes by 1,564 Albanian families with a total of 11,364 members”.

The homes of forcibly expelled Albanians were usurped by Serbs, and over the years, thousands of Albanians have been denied every right and were unable to return to their homes and lands. This ethnic cleansing, conducted 24 years ago, completely changed the demographic structure of Mitrovica. According to a report by the International Crisis Group at the time, prior to February 2000, in northern Mitrovica, 53% of the electricity distributors were in Albanian households. The massacre and expulsion of Albanians committed in the function of Mitrovica's ethnic cleansing by local Albanians took place just eight months after the war ended in Kosovo. The drastic change of reality on the ground created additional conditions for deepening the physical division of the town of Mitrovica into two parts. It was accomplished under KFOR military troops, while followed by the inactions of then Albanian political leaders in Kosovo”.

”Madje, the latter, in 2013 had voted in the Kosovo Assembly law on the administration of criminals in northern Kosovo. Now, 24 years from February 2000, the situation in the northern part of the city of Mitrovica and north of the country in general has changed greatly because of the Kosovo Government's commitment and state security structures. Criminal organisations “Civil Protection” and “North Brigade” have been declared terrorist organisations, while establishing order and law in the north has had great progress and is on a good track to strengthen”.

” However, for the deaths of the tortured as well as for those expelled from the northern part of Mitrovica during February 2000, there must be justice. At night between February 3rd and 4th of 2000, in Mitrovica they were killed: Bashkim Rruevci, Muharrem Sokoli, Nezir Voca, Shqipe Voca, Remzije Canhasi, Eqim Ajeti, Niman Sejdiu, Sebaha Abashi, Selime Berisha and Nexmije Jaka. Victims of the February 3rd and 4th 2000 massacre in Mitrovica are remembered with honour and compassion as we engage in justice for them and the outcasts, as well as for legitimacy, order and full constitutionality in the country's north as in every part of Kosovo! ”