Donika Gërvalla, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, reacted to the sentencing of Dejan Raçiq by the Basic Court in Prishtina, specifically for the crime of sexual violence during the war in Kosovo.
Through a Facebook post, she called for justice for survivors of wartime sexual violence in Kosovo.
Her full statement:
Justice for the survivors of sexual violence during the war in Kosovo.
Dejan Raçiq was today sentenced to 15 years in prison for war crimes, specifically the crime of sexual violence during the war in Kosovo, by the Basic Court in Prishtina.
This is the fourth case in which local justice institutions have punished perpetrators of these crimes, showing that silence and impunity are gradually coming to an end.
The road remains long, but in the end, justice and truth always prevail.
Special thanks also to the Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (QKRMT) for their unwavering support to survivors throughout the judicial process. By thanking this organization, we also thank all organizations and activists who, every day, with extraordinary and selfless commitment, stand by survivors of sexual violence during the last war in Kosovo.
It is admirable to see the dignified stance of our heroines—the survivors—who continue to demonstrate unmatched integrity and courage by confronting, now in court, those who committed unspeakable crimes against them. These women and men deserve even stronger and broader support from our institutions and society.
