Acting President Albulena Haxhiu has paid tribute in the villages of Poklek, Çikatovë e Vjetër and Krajkovë in Drenas, in honour of the fallen heroes and martyrs of the war in Kosovo.

She stressed the importance of historical memory and the necessity of bringing justice for crimes committed by Serbia.

“We have just honoured a precious figure of our nation, Sokol Elshani. The martyr Sokol Elshani comes from a patriotic and national family that have always contributed to the national cause and to the Republic of Kosovo. He had started his engagement very early; even in the protests of the 90s, he was attacked and seriously wounded by Serbian forces. Today we honour his life and work. We were also in Çikatovë and Poklek to honour the martyrs, who were massacred and burned. In Çikatovë e Vjetër, after they were killed, they were taken to Raška in Serbia. The Poklek massacre is evidence of Serbian genocide in Kosovo, where 53 civilians were killed, 23 of them children. While in Çikatovë e Vjetër, 24 unarmed civilians were killed and their bodies were taken to Serbia in order to hide the genocidal crime,” said Haxhiu.

She assessed that the younger generations are fortunate to have such examples of sacrifice for the homeland, stressing that the memory of martyrs should serve as inspiration for commitment to the country.

Haxhiu also underlined the importance of the functioning of justice institutions in dealing with war crimes. According to her, although 27 years have passed and the process remains challenging, institutions are engaged in addressing accountability. She mentioned the increase of capacities in the police and prosecution, as well as the establishment of the institute for war crimes, stressing that these crimes are not forgiven and that justice is necessary.

In the end, she stressed that the most painful request heard in anniversaries and commemorations is that of families for justice, adding that institutions will be maximally engaged to fulfil this request.