The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has commemorated the victims of the Lybeniq massacre on the 27th anniversary of the tragic event, in which dozens of Albanian civilians were killed by Serbian forces during the Kosovo war.
Through a Facebook post, Kurti emphasized that justice for this crime in Serbia has been delayed and obscured, describing it as incomplete justice.
“On April 1, 1999, at the dawn of a spring day, armed Serbian forces surrounded the village of Lybeniq in Peja. At 07:00 in the morning, members of the ‘Jackals’ unit, part of unit ‘177’ of the Yugoslav army, together with members of the Territorial Defense unit, attacked the village with a dark plan of extermination. Within moments, residents were expelled from their homes and gathered in the center of the village, near the mosque. Women, children, and the elderly were separated and expelled, while 59 men were killed with relentless bursts of automatic gunfire. In Serbia, justice for this crime has been delayed and obscured an incomplete justice in a genocidal state. But in the face of their denial stands our truth. Against the darkness of yesterday stands today’s free, democratic Kosovo, working to join the European Union and NATO,” Kurti wrote.
The Prime Minister added that Serbia, by refusing to confront its past, remains hostage to it, describing it as a country where, according to him, war criminals continue to be protected.
Meanwhile, he stressed that Kosovo is strengthening every day in all areas, including defense, security, and justice.
Kurti highlighted the increase in investigations and trials for war crimes, as well as institutional efforts to document them.
“Our state stands by the families of martyrs through institutional commitment, including the Ministry for Labor, Family and War Values. From a country devastated by war, today we have a state that creates opportunities and gives hope to new generations. This is the greatest proof that the sacrifice of the martyrs has been transformed into freedom, development, and a brighter future for all,” Kurti concluded.
