President Osmani conveys her condolences to the family on the passing of academician and the former Mayor of Prishtina Salih Gashi
It is with deep sorrow that I received the news of the passing of academician Salih Gashi, former mayor of Prishtina, a prominent personality in the public and institutional life of our state. Professor Gashi belonged to the generation that, with dedication, knowledge and integrity, built bridges between knowledge and society. He was a dedicated contributor to the University of Pristina, a respected figure in academic circles and a wise voice in the institutional and public life of Kosovo. His extraordinary contribution to education, science and society will always remain part of our collective memory and an inspiration for generations to come. I express my most sincere condolences to his family, friends, the academic community and all those who were fortunate enough to know and collaborate with him. At these difficult moments for the family, I sympathize with you and encourage you to find strength in coping with the pain. May the memory of academician Salih Gashi be eternal!
President Osmani commemorates the anniversary of the massacres of Grashtica, Nakarada, Dragaqina and Sopija
April 21, 1999, one day, four locations, one crime by the genocidal regime forces of Serbia. On the same day, in different parts of Kosovo, Serbian criminal forces cold-bloodedly killed dozens of innocent civilians, leaving behind only pain, memories and the call for justice, which has never ceased. In Grashtica, Pristina, 60 men were brutally killed from a long column of displaced people from the villages of Gollak who were trying to escape. Their bodies were thrown into the river, a gruesome attempt to erase the traces of the crime. In Nakarada, Fushë Kosovë, 16 men and boys of the Mirena family were separated from their relatives and then brutally killed. In Dragaqina, Suhareka, 11 Albanian civilians were brutally tortured and then thrown into a well, which was filled with construction debris. The crime was physically covered up, but never forgotten. Meanwhile, in Sopije, Suhareka, 7 members of the Ilazi family and one of the Sopa family were killed, victims of a violence that aimed to wipe out entire generations. These are not just events of the past. They are living wounds in Kosovo’s memory. Wounds that demand justice. Wounds that oblige us to never forget. May the memory of the martyrs be eternal!
President Osmani’s Easter Felicitations
To all Catholic and Orthodox believers, I cordially wish you a blessed Easter, peace in your hearts and joy in your families! This holiday, which this year unites us on a single date, reminds us of strength, hope and unwavering faith for a better future. May Easter be a moment of reflection, closeness and love to all of us. Happy Easter!
President Vjosa Osmani commemorates the anniversary of the fall of the hero Sali Çekaj
Today, we commemorate with honour the national hero, Sali Çekaj, who fell a martyr in the glorious Battle of Koshare. Sali Çekaj was one of the most outstanding commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, known for his bravery, loyalty, generosity and unconditional love for the homeland. Together with Agim Ramadani and other fellow fighters, he stood out as a determined strategist and a courageous leader on the frontlines. Hero Sali Çekaj was commemorated today at a memorial academy held under the auspices of President Vjosa Osmani. We will forever be proud of the martyrs who fell heroically and the brave fighters who wrote history with their blood. May the glory to the legacy of Hero Sali Çekaj be eternal!
From the decorating ceremony of Vasfije Krasniqi, Shyrete Tahiri and Ramadan Nishori with the title “The Honor of the Republic”
From the decorating ceremony of Vasfije Krasniqi, Shyrete Tahiri and Ramadan Nishori with the title “The Honor of the Republic”
President Osmani’s speech at the decoration ceremony of the survivors of sexual violence during the war
Dear Vasfije, Dear Shyhrete, Honourable Ramadan, Dear family members, Distinguished representatives of friendly countries, Honourable representatives of KRCT and other organizations we cooperate with daily, Distinguished attendees, There are moments when words fall short in expressing our gratitude, just as there are individuals whose courage renders us truly speechless. Today, we gather to pay our deepest respects to three individuals who are far more than mere individuals. Through their suffering, they have illuminated the path toward truth, justice and hope. Ms. Vasfije Krasniqi, Ms. Shyhrete Tahiri and Mr. Ramadan Nishori will forever remain etched in the collective memory of our people. Throughout history, there are rare voices that, even when exhausted by injustice, speak with a force capable of shaking the foundations of silence. Vasfije, Shyhrete and Ramadan, you are precisely those voices. You are the voice of truth, waiting decades for justice. You are the voice that has chosen dignity, the voice of survivors who refuse to remain silent. Today, with full hearts, we therefore honour you with a title most richly deserved: the “Honour of the Republic.” For you, who through your courage have raised not only your own voice but also the voice of thousands of survivors still living with the wounds inflicted by unimaginable crimes. This is far more than a decoration. It is a living promise that we will never allow history to forget those trampled by brutality, and that our Republic will never be whole without justice for you and the thousands of other survivors who endured the barbarity of the Milosevic regime. Ramadan, your testimony is an extraordinary act of courage and heroism. You are the first man to speak about this crime and a representative of all the men who for years bore their pain in silence. Through your voice, we have broken yet another wall of silence and stigma. No one who has been a victim of a crime is guilty. As you yourself said: “Shame will forever fall upon those who committed this crime, never upon the survivors, who have become the pride of our country through their relentless struggle for justice”. Vasfije, your voice has become an inspiration for all of us and for generations yet to come. You spoke when it was hardest to speak. You stood firm when it was easiest to hide. You have become a symbol of resistance, of strength, and of hope for all those who feel broken. You have been a voice that has resonated from the U.S. Congress to the UN Security Council, and from the European Parliament to every corner of the world. Shyhrete, your testimony, as a woman and as a mother who endured double the pain, because the suffering was not only your own but also that of your children who witnessed what you endured, has moved the hearts of all who have heard it, not only in Kosovo but far beyond. You are not merely a witness to suffering, but a testament to boundless strength, love and care for others, even in moments when you yourself may have felt shattered. You are a living example of the power one individual possesses to uplift not only themselves but an entire society and nation. And that is precisely what you have accomplished, and your example continues through your daughters and children. Dear attendees, Survivors of sexual violence during the war are not merely victims; they are witnesses. They are living proof and our strongest pillar in the fight for justice. They are the voice of truth, reminding us every day that without justice, there can be no lasting peace. Therefore, all efforts of our Republic must focus on seeking justice, not only as a moral obligation, but as a duty to life, human dignity, and the generations that follow. It is our responsibility to ensure that no one ever experiences what our people endured. We cannot build sustainable peace without justice for the women and men who suffered the most inhumane violence, including children. Through your courage, however, you have changed Kosovo. We all stand with you on this journey. Today, Kosovo honours you, and we will not stop until justice prevails, until every survivor is heard, respected and never feels alone again. Therefore, in the exercise of my constitutional powers as President of the Republic of Kosovo, I have decided to award Vasfije, Shyhrete and Ramadan the Order “Honour of the Republic” for their extraordinary courage in breaking decades of silence around the most inhumane crimes committed during the war, for the dignity with which they faced suffering and stigma, and for their irreplaceable role in raising social and international awareness about survivors of sexual violence during the war. Dear Vasfije, Dear Shyhrete, Honourable Ramadan, Dear family members of these three living heroes of our people, Many survivors are following us today through the screens. I hope that tomorrow we can have them seated here to receive the recognition they deserve and to hear their voices as well. The genocidal regime of Milosevic thought that by committing the most barbaric acts of sexual violence, it could strip you of your dignity. But you have become the honour of our state, the honour of our nation. Today, we formalize this through a presidential decree, but you have already been enshrined as the Honour of our Republic in the annals of our nation’s history. Congratulations!
President Osmani meets with family members of the Poklek Massacre victims
On the 26th anniversary of the Poklek Massacre, the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, met with the families of the victims, with whom she discussed the importance of remembering all victims and the necessity of seeking justice. During the meeting, President Osmani emphasized that the Poklek Massacre, in which 54 citizens were killed by Serbia’s genocidal regime, remains an open wound for our society and a lasting reminder that calls for ongoing institutional commitment to bring the perpetrators to justice. President Osmani underlined that justice for the victims is an constant obligation, and that the call for justice has been raised in every international forum. She also reiterated her commitment to ensuring that these crimes are never forgotten and to continuing the fight for justice, in honor of the memory of the victims and for the future of Kosovo.
President: With the greatest pride, I awarded the title “Honour of the Republic” to Vasfije Krasniqi, Shyrete Tahiri and Ramadan Nishori
The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, awarded the title “Honour of the Republic” to Vasfije Krasniqi, Shyrete Tahiri and Ramadan Nishori. President Osmani wrote: Today, with the greatest pride, I awarded the title “Honour of the Republic” to Vasfije Krasniqi, Shyrete Tahiri and Ramadan Nishori. By using the most brutal act of war, sexual violence, the regime of Milosevic believed it would dishonour thousands of victims of war, but through their courage, the survivors became the honour of the state, the honour of the nation, THE HONOUR OF THE REPUBLIC!
President Osmani’s speech at the memorial gathering on the 26th anniversary of the Makoc Massacre
Dear families of the freedom martyrs, Dear families of our nation’s fallen heroes, Honourable Mayor of Prishtina, Esteemed Members of the Assembly, Representatives of central and local institutions, Surviving witnesses and dear citizens, Today, we all stand together in this sacred place to remember a deep wound in our painful yet glorious history. We are gathered here to honour the memory of those who were mercilessly massacred in Makoc during the dark days of April 1999, one of the most brutal phases of the genocidal campaign perpetrated by the Serbian machinery of death against our people. In this place, still marked by the pain of April 1999, 115 lives were taken unjustly, just as thousands of others were across Kosovo, dreams extinguished before they could ever be realized. The fallen here in Makoc were only a part of the hundreds killed in the Gollak region over a span of just four days. Therefore, this site stands as a testament, a solemn legacy left by those murdered by the Serbian hand without mercy, simply for being Albanian, for loving freedom, and for seeking to live freely on their own land. This site also serves as evidence of a crime that remains unpunished, yet it will never go unheard, for Kosovo will never remain silent in the pursuit of its truth. Today, at this sacred place where the bodies of martyrs and fallen heroes rest, we have come not only to remember the horrific crime but also to honour the resistance of our people. We have come to remember the immense pain of the families. We have come to bow before the sacrifice of those who fell, and above all, to continue our powerful call for justice. In Makoc and the surrounding villages, over the span of just a few days, no one was spared, neither Fortesa, a 7-year-old girl, nor Hamidja, aged 98. This was the barbarity of the crime, a cruelty aimed at eradicating our very existence in all its forms. Yet what the Serbian genocidal regime could never extinguish is the indomitable spirit of our freedom-loving people. Makoc, like all of Kosovo, stands as a testament to an extraordinary sacrifice, a sacrifice born not by chance, but through the unwavering resolve of our people, a resolve that has endured across centuries: a resolve never to submit and to live freely on the land of our forebears. Our journey continues, yet our foundations remain strong, built upon the blood of our martyrs and heroes through countless generations. Today, Kosovo is free, sovereign, and equipped with functioning state institutions. Today, Kosovo serves as a pillar of peace and stability in the region. Today, Kosovo is a valued ally of democratic nations. This represents the greatest achievement of a people who once sought freedom at any cost and who today defend it at every cost, with honour and dignity. Even on this anniversary marked by both sorrow and pride, all responsible state institutions must recall that safeguarding the values of the sacrifice for freedom and preserving this heritage is a duty we bear, a perpetual obligation, for upon these values rests the very foundation of our state. Without honouring the memory and showing profound respect for those who fell, we can never secure a luminous future. Makoc will endure as an eternal memory, a solemn legacy, and above all, a solemn pledge toward the future. A pledge that we will never forget the martyrs and fallen heroes. A pledge that we will never forget those forcibly gone missing during the last war in Kosovo. A pledge that we will never abandon the pursuit of justice. A pledge that we will educate future generations with the truth of our glorious history and protect freedom as our most precious treasure. May the glory to all martyrs of the Makoc Massacre be eternal! Glory to all the nation’s fallen heroes! Justice for the victims, everlasting peace for their souls, and eternal honour for their sacred sacrifice! Thank you!
President Osmani laid a wreath in honor of the martyrs at the cemetery in Velani, on the day of the KLA martyrs of the municipality of Pristina
With deep humility and respect, President Osmani remembered the contribution of each martyr who fell to see Kosovo free, independent and democratic. “Martyrs are the foundation of our freedom. Remembering them is not only an honor, but a commitment that we will work every day for a just, equal and dignified state, just as they dreamed of”, emphasized the President. President Osmani said that this day reminds us of the values for which our martyrs fell and that their memory is eternal.