The Association of Families “Përkorë” has reacted today to statements made by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić at the United Nations General Assembly, where he denied that a humanitarian catastrophe had occurred in Kosovo during the 1998–1999 war.
According to the association, headed by Latif Mehmeti, such statements constitute a denial of a documented tragedy and of the suffering endured by thousands of families.
“During the war in Kosovo, Kosovo Albanians were killed, forcibly expelled from their homes, and thousands of people went missing. More than 800,000 Kosovo Albanians were displaced to Albania and what was then the Republic of Macedonia,” the Association of Families “Përkorë” said in its statement.
The statement also notes that an important piece of evidence of the crimes committed during the war is the discovery of the bodies of Kosovo Albanians in mass graves on the territory of Serbia, including in Batajnica, Petrovo Selo, Perućac, Rudnica and Kizevak.
“For the families, these facts raise serious questions that still require answers: Who transported the bodies of those killed in Kosovo to Serbia? Who gave the orders? Who organized their concealment in mass graves, and who bears responsibility for this? These are not merely questions raised by the families of the missing. They are matters that require serious institutional attention, comprehensive documentation, and accountability before justice,” the statement said.
The Association of Families “Përkorë” called on the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo to present the facts, evidence and documentation concerning war crimes and missing persons forcefully and consistently to the international community.
“The truth about the victims, the missing, and their families cannot be erased through denial or propaganda. The families seek truth, justice, and accountability for their loved ones,” the statement concluded.
The Association of Families “Përkorë”, based in Podujevë, is headed by Latif Mehmeti.
Meanwhile, during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić denied that Serbian security forces, including paramilitary units, were responsible for the humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo in 1998–1999.
He also launched a series of criticisms against NATO’s intervention in his country in the spring of 1999 and subsequently accused Croatia of the “revival of Nazism.”
