Acting President Haxhiu paid homage in Abri e Epërme: Kosovo will not cease seeking justice
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, together with Prime Minister Albin Kurti, paid tribute today in Abri e Epërme. On this occasion, Acting President Haxhiu stated that today,Abri e Epërme, they paid tribute to the 23 martyrs of the Deliu family and the national martyrs Vesel Demaku, Valdet Xhemajli, and Afrim Hajdaraj, who fell on September 26, 1998, while defending the civilian population from Serbian forces. “The Deliu family had taken shelter in the woods to escape attacks and shelling. Serbian forces found them and killed them at close range. Among the victims were children, pregnant women, and elderly. Diturije Deliu was only six weeks old. She was found alive beneath her mother’s body after 22 members of her family had been killed. She survived for a few more weeks and passed away on November 19, 1998,” emphasized Acting President Haxhiu. She further added that on that same day, a few kilometers away, Vesel Demaku, Valdet Xhemajli, and Afrim Hajdaraj were fighting to prevent Serbian forces from reaching the civilians sheltering in the mountains surrounding Abria. “Vesel was a teacher. Valdet was among the early KLA activists in Abri and had participated in several battles before falling that day. Arben Xhemajli was with them as well and was severely wounded. After hours of fighting, Vesel, Valdet, and Afrim fell while defending innocent civilians,” stated Acting President Haxhiu. She noted that twenty-eight years later, no one has been convicted for the massacre of the Deliu family. “The crime has been documented, witnesses have spoken, and it is known which Serbian forces operated in Abri. Kosovo will not cease its pursuit of justice. Our institutions have a duty to pursue these crimes to the end, regardless of how much time has passed or where the perpetrators are located. Glory to the martyrs Vesel Demaku, Valdet Xhemajli, and Afrim Hajdaraj! May the memory of the martyrs of the Deliu family be eternal!” said Acting President Haxhiu.
Acting President Haxhiu received the non-resident Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Kosovo, Christian Grønbech-Jensen
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, received today the non-resident Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Kosovo, Christian Grønbech-Jensen. During the meeting, discussions focused on relations between Kosovo and Denmark, current developments in the country, and opportunities to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Acting President Haxhiu expressed her appreciation for Denmark’s continued support to Kosovo and for its long-standing contribution to peace, security, and development. Acting President Haxhiu and Ambassador Grønbech-Jensen reaffirmed their readiness to continue to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
Acting President Haxhiu: three years ago, Afrim Bunjaku was the first to confront the terrorist group supported, financed, and organized by Serbia
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, participated today in the laying of the foundation stone for the obelisk dedicated to Hero Afrim Bunjaku. “In Banjskë, where our Hero, Afrim Bunjaku, fell while defending the Republic, today we laid the foundation stone for the obelisk that will bear his name,” said Acting President Haxhiu. She further stated that three years ago, in the early hours of September 24th, he was the first to confront the terrorist group supported, financed, and organized by Serbia. According to Acting President Haxhiu, his sacrifice and the steadfastness of his colleagues caused Serbia’s plan to fail. “The obelisk will stand in Banjska so that anyone passing by knows what happened at that site and who gave their life defending it. It will also serve as proof that the law of the Republic of Kosovo applies in every village of the north,” emphasized Acting President Haxhiu. Acting President Haxhiu further stated that those who attacked Kosovo that morning and are currently sheltered in Serbia will one day face justice. “Kosovo will persist until each of them is held accountable. Glory to the Hero of Kosovo, Afrim Bunjaku!” emphasized the Acting President. President Haxhiu.
Acting President Haxhiu: Afrim fell in the line of duty, but that morning he and his colleagues defended the Republic
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, visited the Bunjaku family today and paid tribute at the tomb of the Hero of Kosovo, Afrim Bunjaku, on the third anniversary of his death. “Three years ago, Afrim set out for duty and never returned home. In Banjskë, he fell while defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo against the terrorist attack of September 24th,” emphasized Acting President Haxhiu. She further stated that to Kosovo, Afrim Bunjaku is a Hero. “For his family, it is Afrim who is missed every day—the husband, father, and brother who had worn the Kosovo Police uniform for 22 years and served his country,” affirmed Acting President Haxhiu. Acting President Albulena Haxhiu once again expressed her deep respect and appreciation to the Bunjaku family. “Afrim fell in the line of duty, but that morning he and his colleagues defended the Republic. For this, Kosovo will be forever grateful to him. Glory to the Hero of Kosovo, Afrim Bunjaku!” stressed Acting President Haxhiu.
Acting President Haxhiu received the credentials of the non-resident Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea to Kosovo, Abdoulaye Fofana
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, received the credentials of the non-resident Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea to Kosovo, Abdoulaye Fofana today. During the meeting, discussions focused on relations between the two countries and opportunities to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest. “I welcomed Ambassador Fofana and wished him a successful tenure, assuring him of my readiness to cooperate on further advancement of relations between Kosovo and Guinea,” said Acting President Haxhiu.
Acting President Haxhiu awarded Mediterranean karate champion Islam Selmani the Presidential Medal of Merit
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, met today with Mediterranean karate champion Islam Selmani and his coach, Isak Curri. On this occasion, Acting President Haxhiu awarded Mediterranean karate champion Islam Selmani the Presidential Medal of Merit in recognition of his achievements and his dignified representation of Kosovo on the international stage. “At the ‘Taranto 2026’ Mediterranean Games, Islam won the gold medal in the under-60 kg category following an outstanding run and bouts against some of the best karatekas. From the European Junior Champion title to the silver medal at the Senior World Championship and the gold medal at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto, Islam is building a career worthy of admiration,” emphasized Acting President Haxhiu. In conclusion, Acting President Haxhiu wished Islam, his coach, and the entire team continued success and many more medals for Kosovo.
Acting President Haxhiu: In the lives of Fehmi and Xhevë, love for one another and love for Kosovo always went hand in hand
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, paid tribute on the twenty-eighth anniversary of the fall of Fehmi and Xhevë Lladrovci. According to Acting President Haxhiu, in the lives of Fehmi and Xhevë, love for one another and love for Kosovo always went hand in hand, right up until the day they both fell for its freedom. “Today, twenty-eight years after their fall, we paid tribute to Fehmi and Xhevë Lladrovci—two figures whom the history of Kosovo holds close together, just as they remained close to one another throughout their entire journey of liberation. He, an engineer, and she, an Albanian language teacher, commenced the path to liberation decades ago, at a time when opposition to the Yugoslav regime was punished with persecution, imprisonment, and dismissal from work,” Acting President Haxhiu emphasized. She further noted that Fehmi Lladrovci was part of the political organization of the 1980s and spent years in Yugoslav prisons due to his convictions and activism. “When he was arrested in September 1985, he and Xheva had just begun their life together. His long imprisonment severed neither the bond between them nor the path they had chosen. Xheva immediately joined the Lladrovci family, and despite Fehmi’s imprisonment, she continued her political activism on her own during years when any connection to the underground movement posed a grave danger. After Fehmi’s release from prison, their life continued far from Kosovo, yet never far from its cause. They took part in the war in Croatia, continued their political activities in Munich, Germany, and engaged in the preparations that would, over the years, lead to the organization of the liberation war in Kosovo,” stated Acting President Haxhiu. As she noted, Fehmi himself articulated this in a sentence that remains one of the most powerful from the wartime era: “Freedom is more precious than life.” Xheva did not need to say it. Her entire life—right up to her final stand alongside him at Gradina—bore witness to that same conviction. That is why Fehmiu and Xheva cannot be remembered solely through one another. Each had forged their own path toward the same freedom, and when the final moment came, both dedicated their lives to it. Fehmiu took command of the 114th Brigade and played a key role in organizing, training, and leading KLA units. At a time when the KLA was expanding rapidly and needed to establish structures, positions, and military discipline, his experience carried particular weight. The experience he had gained during the war in Croatia proved invaluable in organizing and commanding KLA units in Drenica. Xheva, meanwhile, played a direct role in the war effort. She participated in both organization and combat, serving on the front lines during several KLA battles in the summer of 1998. Her presence there stemmed from more than just her life with Fehmiu; she, too, had arrived at this path through her own history and convictions. She was a teacher of Albanian language and literature, raised in a family with a tradition of patriotism, and had been involved in political activism from an early age. Therefore, when we speak of Fehmiu and… “We are not speaking merely of a fighter and the wife who followed him; we are speaking of two activists who chose the path of freedom and shouldered the successive risks that came with it. For them, Kosovo’s freedom was not a distant ideal, but a cause to which they dedicated their years, their work, their time in exile, the war, and ultimately, their lives,” emphasized Acting President Haxhiu. She noted that on September 22nd, 1998, Serbian forces launched a major offensive against KLA positions in Drenica, adding that at Gradina—one of the most critical defensive points for the 114th Brigade—intense, close-quarters combat raged for hours. “Accounts from fellow fighters that day reveal that Fehmi was directing the battle and maintaining contact with other positions right up until their own post was struck. When Fehmi fell, Xheva held her ground and continued the fight for liberation, refusing to retreat. On September 22nd 1998—at the very place they had reached together after years of imprisonment, persecution, exile, and preparation for war—their journey came to an end,” Acting President Haxhiu emphasized. Acting President Haxhiu stated that today, alongside Fehmi and Xheva, we also honored Fatime Hetemi, Shefqet Zeka, Behxhet and Milaim Karaxha, and Hamit Lladrovci, adding that their names are an inseparable part of our glorious history—of the struggle and sacrifice upon which Kosovo’s freedom was won.
Acting President Haxhiu participated at the opening of International Week of the Deaf
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, participated today in the opening of the International Week of the Deaf alongside the Kosovo Association of the Deaf and the people who know best the obstacles they face daily. On this occasion, Acting President Haxhiu stated that it was a valuable opportunity to hear directly from the community about the barriers they still encounter in education, healthcare, employment, and access to public services. “We discussed the importance of sign language—both as a distinct language and as part of the deaf community’s identity—as well as the need for more licensed interpreters, trained teachers, and public services that can be accessed without requiring the mediation of a family member,” Acting President Haxhiu emphasized. Acting President Albulena Haxhiu affirmed that the Presidency remains open to cooperation with the Kosovo Association of the Deaf and to addressing issues that require greater institutional attention.
Acting President Haxhiu: Three families received news today regarding forcibly disappeared relatives since 1999
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, stated that three families received news today regarding their forcibly disappeared relatives since 1999. “DNA analyses confirmed the identities of three victims, whose remains were exhumed from mass graves in Kalludër and Jabukë, in the municipality of Zubin Potok. They were part of the group known as the ‘Group of Intellectuals’—Albanians from Skenderaj and Mitrovicë—who were abducted by Serbian forces on April 19th 1999,” emphasized Acting President Haxhiu . She further noted that for 27 years, these families lived without knowing the whereabouts of their loved ones. “Today, they know. The pain remains, but this long wait has ended. I stand with them on this day. I also share the feelings of other families awaiting excavation results in the coming weeks,” said Acting President Haxhiu. Acting President Albulena Haxhiu affirmed that the search will not cease until the very last person forcibly disappeared is found and those responsible are brought to justice.
Acting President Haxhiu: today’s verdict and the sentences handed down are deeply shocking news for the Republic of Kosovo
Today’s verdict and the sentences imposed on Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi represent a heavy blow to their families, deeply shocking news for the Republic of Kosovo, and a difficult moment for the Albanian nation wherever it resides. On a day like this, the weight of this decision cannot be separated from the history that shaped us. Kosovo endured the violence of a state apparatus that killed civilians, committed massacres, expelled hundreds of thousands of Albanians from their homes, and left behind thousands of dead and missing persons. This experience is an indelible part of the memory of Kosovo and the Albanian nation. My thoughts are, first and foremost, with the families of Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi. For years, they have borne the burden of absence, of anticipation and uncertainty. Today’s sentences make that burden even heavier. I send them a message from Kosovo: stay strong; Kosovo stands with you. The final legal word has not yet been spoken. The right to appeal is part of the process and must be fully exercised. The struggle of the Kosovo Liberation Army was a war of liberation. It emerged in the face of the oppression, violence, and crimes committed by the Serbian regime against the people of Kosovo. No court ruling can alter the nature of that war, nor can it undo a people’s right to fight for their freedom. Respect for justice does not imply silence in the face of any attempt to distort history. Today’s verdicts must not be allowed to be used to relativize the crimes of the Serbian regime, to diminish its responsibility for them, or to create a false narrative. We expect this same clarity from our friends and allies. Today, we need composure, dignity, and unity. The pain of this day must not divide us. The Republic of Kosovo will weather this trial as well, remaining steadfast in its commitment to justice, freedom, and the truth. For court rulings can neither judge a people’s history nor rewrite it.