Acting President Albulena Haxhiu stated that the documentation of war crimes in Kosovo must continue until no victim remains without a name and no crime is left undocumented.
A few days ago, the Institute for Crimes Committed During the War in Kosovo presented, for the first time, the official institutional list of war victims, documenting a total of 12,230 victims of the Kosovo war. The list is preliminary, and the documentation process is ongoing.
Haxhiu emphasized that behind every number is a life cut short, a family still waiting for justice, and a pain that has never faded. She stressed that documenting the truth is not only an institutional responsibility but also a moral obligation to the victims and future generations.
“I particularly appreciate the work of the Institute’s staff, who face difficult materials and evidence every day, treating every case with the professionalism and humanity it deserves. For many years, the data were scattered across different archives, institutional and organizational files, and documents preserved by the victims’ families themselves,” Haxhiu wrote.
She noted that when the process of re-establishing the Institute began, it was clear that it should not be a temporary structure dependent on short-term decisions, but rather a permanent institution with a clear mandate and continuity. For this reason, she said, it was established through a special law, making the documentation of war crimes a permanent obligation of the state.
“The report presented in recent days is the first significant testament to this commitment. The Institute has begun creating the official registry of war victims, while the work must continue with documenting massacres, forced expulsions, sexual violence, imprisonment, torture, mass graves, and other crimes committed by Serbia during the war.
This work must continue until no victim remains without a name, no crime is left undocumented, and the truth no longer exists only in the memories of families, but takes its rightful place in the history and conscience of our state,” Haxhiu stated.
