Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has commemorated the massacre of April 17, 1999, in the village of Poklek, where 53 members of the Muqolli family, including five infants, were brutally murdered by Serbian forces during the war.
In a heartfelt statement, Kurti emphasized the brutality of the crime, recalling how the victims’ bodies were burned three times in an attempt to erase all traces of the massacre. Despite this, he said, family members preserved the ashes and memories of their loved ones, honoring them with dignity.
“Today we remember one of the most horrific acts of Serbia’s genocide against Albanian civilians. Fifty-three innocent lives were wiped out in the home of the Muqolli family. Five of them were infants,” said Kurti.
The Prime Minister highlighted that evidence of the massacre is preserved in the Muqolli Family House Museum in Poklek, which was established with institutional support from the Government of Kosovo.
He also made a renewed call for justice, stating that accountability remains absent, and urging Kosovo’s judicial institutions to take concrete action.
“Testimony and documentation of war crimes is a national responsibility. Loyalty to our history and the pursuit of justice for victims are our strongest allies in the search for truth,” Kurti added.
Concluding his statement, Kurti paid tribute to the resilience and courage of the victims’ families, reaffirming that the memory of their sacrifice for freedom will live on.
