On January 15, 2025, Kosovo will observe the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Serbia’s Genocide with a central candlelight ceremony in Pristina. This day was established following a resolution passed by the Kosovo Assembly on May 16, 2019, which recognized the atrocities committed during the 1998–1999 war as genocide.
Candlelight Ceremony in Pristina
The event, organized by the Center “Genocide in Kosovo – An Open Wound” and the Student Parliament of the University of Pristina “Hasan Prishtina,” will take place at 7:30 PM at Skanderbeg Square, in front of the National Theatre of Kosovo.
This act of remembrance honors:
- Over 10,000 Albanian civilians killed during the war,
- More than 20,000 Albanian women who were victims of sexual violence, and
- Approximately 1 million Albanians forcibly displaced from their homes.
Call for National and Global Participation
Kosovars unable to attend the event are encouraged to light a candle at their homes—on balconies or windows—to show solidarity and honor the victims. The organizers also urge war victim associations and citizens in other towns to find appropriate ways to commemorate this solemn day.
The event serves as a powerful reminder of the crimes committed during the war and highlights the enduring pain of survivors and their families.
