The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has remembered the massacre of Likoshan and Qirez.
In a Facebook post, Kurti stated that, despite the deaths of many witnesses to these massacres, there are still living witnesses who are waiting to testify.
“On February 28, 1998, the attack by Serbian special forces, using heavy artillery, lasted for 28 hours in the villages of Likoshan and Qirez. After the attacks with helicopters and military vehicles, Serbian police forces entered. Inside a room, they shot and killed Rukie Nebihu, a 27-year-old woman who was in her seventh month of pregnancy. She was holding her 3-year-old daughter in her lap.”
“They also killed her husband Ilir, 30, and her brother-in-law Xhemshir, 33. On that day, 17 unarmed Albanian civilians were killed. Today, we remember the Albanian civilians who were killed: Beqir Sejdiu (26), Nazmi Sejdiu (24), Bedri Sejdiu (24), Bekim Sejdiu (23), Ilir Nebihu (30), Rukie Nebihu (27, seven months pregnant), Xhemshir Nebihu (33), Ibish Rama (38), Behram Fazliu (50), Ismail Behrami (30), Gani Ahmeti (46), Ahmet Ahmeti (50), Hamzë Ahmeti (44), Hilmi Ahmeti (44), Driton Ahmeti (23), Naim Ahmeti (22), Lumni Ahmeti (19), Shemsi Ahmeti (18), Basri Ahmeti (18), and Elhami Ahmeti (16). We also remember the martyrs Rexhep Rexhepi (63), Beqir Rexhepi (30), Muhamet Gjeli (70), and Naser Gjeli (38), who fell in the fighting between the KLA and Serbian police in Drenica,” Kurti wrote.
“For this first massacre of the last war, neither the international prosecutor’s office after liberation nor the state prosecutor’s office after the declaration of independence has brought justice. Over these 27 years, many witnesses have passed away, making it even more difficult to uncover the truth. There are still many survivors and living witnesses who are waiting to testify.”
“The inaction of the institutions is a double injustice to the victims and their families, who live with open wounds and the lack of accountability. We bow with the deepest respect to all the men and women who fell on our long path to freedom and the Republic. Glory to the martyrs and heroes of Likoshan and Qirez! Eternal be their memory!”
