Dear Vasfije, Shyrete<\/p>\n
Dear Ramadan,<\/p>\n
Honorable Members of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo,<\/p>\n
Honorable Prime Minister Kurti,<\/p>\n
Honorable Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers of the Government Cabinet,<\/p>\n
Honorable Ambassadors and Representatives of Diplomatic Missions,<\/p>\n
Honorable Ms. Feride Rushiti,<\/p>\n
Honorable Citizens,<\/p>\n
Honorable Media,<\/p>\n
First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to everyone who has worked tirelessly on this cause over the years. We have just lit candles at the Assembly Hall of the Republic of Kosovo, a symbolism that is simple in appearance but profound in meaning, as Martin Luther King would say: \u201cDarkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
And today, when we say \u201cReturn my Light,\u201d we are talking about the light we owe to the truth, about the dignity that was attempted to be trampled on, and about the life that was cut in half.<\/p>\n
Few crimes strike human beings with such cruelty as sexual violence during the war, because through it, human dignity itself is fundamentally attacked. Sexual violence as one of the most cruel means of war is not a recent phenomenon or an occasional manifestation of human brutality. It is deeply rooted in the history of wars, as a recurring form of subjugation and social destruction.<\/p>\n
Since ancient wars, women\u2019s bodies have been treated as part of the spoils of war and as territory to be conquered along with the land.<\/p>\n
In the centuries that followed, this practice did not disappear, but took on more organized shape. During World War II, sexual violence was used on a large scale, from massacres in Asia to mass rapes in Europe, often tolerated or unpunished by military structures. In some cases, it was institutionalized, as in the systems of sexual slavery established by occupying armies.<\/p>\n
At the end of the twentieth century, in the wars of the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the world was confronted with a truth that could no longer be masked. Sexual violence, which until then was considered a consequence of war, was seen as its instrument, as it was used, with full awareness as a means of terror, as an instrument of humiliation, as a way to penetrate beyond the human body and strike at the dignity of the victim, the family, the community, the very social bond that keeps a people afloat. It was precisely during this period that international justice began to recognize it as a war crime, as a crime against humanity and, in certain circumstances, as an element of genocide.<\/p>\n
However, even when it was legally named, it remained for a long time enclosed in social silence. The shame was placed on the victims, while the crime was moved to the periphery of collective memory.<\/p>\n
In Kosovo, this brutal and cruel tool was exercised by the Serbian state apparatus and its military, police and paramilitary structures as part of an organized campaign of terror against the Albanian civilian population. And this must be said clearly. It was part of a conscious mechanism of violence, aimed at humiliating, subjugating and shaking the foundations of our society.<\/p>\n
Over twenty thousand women, men and children faced this crime during the last war in Kosovo. But this number is much more than a statistical figure. This number means truncated human destinies, families forced to bear great pain in silence, and entire lives forever divided in half.<\/p>\n
For years following the liberation, this part of our truth remained on the edge of public consciousness. The crime was known, but not pronounced with the weight it deserved. The survivors alone bore the burden of what society itself should have borne as responsibility, while the perpetrators of these crimes, in many cases, remained free, outside our jurisdiction and under the protection of Serbia.<\/p>\n
However, even in the midst of the darkness, a candle was lit, like the ones we lit together today. The silence was broken. We had women and men who found the strength to speak out when silence seemed easier. Women and men who did not ask to be seen with pity, but to be heard with dignity. They are among us today, here we have Vasfije, Shyrete, we have Dani, The late Marte Tunaj, survivor of sexual violence who with their voice changed not only the public discourse, but the very conscience of this state.<\/p>\n
Thanks to that courage, the Republic of Kosovo finally began to build an institutional response worthy of the gravity of this issue, starting from the legal recognition of the status of survivors of violence, to verification and support mechanisms, and to the inclusion of this day in the memorial calendar of our Republic. This date is related to April 14th 1999, the day when Vasfije Krasniqi was kidnapped and sexually raped.<\/p>\n
Vasfije, we are with you. You have the support of not only the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, but also of the entire Albanian nation and much more than the Albanian nation.<\/p>\n
In recent years, the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo have taken viable steps to address the crimes committed by Serbia in Kosovo: through the development of transitional justice policies that place the needs of the victims at the center, the establishment of an institution for documenting war crimes, strengthening the capacities of both the police and the prosecution for criminal prosecution, as well as enabling trials in absentia for war criminals, because Serbia continues to serve as a haven for many of the perpetrators of these crimes.<\/p>\n
There are already twelve indictments in the process for cases of sexual violence during the war, we have one final decision, that is, a conviction, a conviction verdict for this crime during the war, and two other decisions are also awaiting to become final.<\/p>\n
But justice remains truncated as long as many of the perpetrators of these crimes live free today in Serbia, sheltered and protected by a state that has not yet faced its responsibility for the crimes committed in Kosovo and that continues to refuse full cooperation in bringing them to justice.<\/p>\n
Therefore, our response to this crime cannot be limited to ceremonial remembrance, it must be political, it must be legal and moral. Political, because it demands that our state never cease to demand accountability. Legal, because justice must be fulfilled by prosecuting and punishing the criminals. Moral, because the way a society treats its survivors says a lot about its character.<\/p>\n
Equally crucial is the battle that takes place within our own society. As long as a survivor still feels the need to remain silent for fear of prejudice, our task remains unfinished. A society that leaves the burden of shame to the victim prolongs injustice beyond the crime itself.<\/p>\n
Therefore, it is up to our society to demonstrate the moral maturity of a nation that knows how to clearly separate the victim from the shame and the perpetrator from the responsibility.<\/p>\n
And our Republic, the Republic of Kosovo, will continue to prove, with deeds, that in this matter there will be no lack of memory, no lack of justice, and no lack of institutional commitment.<\/p>\n
Thank you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Vasfije, Shyrete Dear Ramadan, Honorable Members of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, Honorable Prime Minister Kurti, Honorable Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers of the Government Cabinet, Honorable Ambassadors and Representatives of Diplomatic Missions, Honorable Ms. Feride Rushiti, Honorable Citizens, Honorable Media, First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to everyone who has worked tirelessly on this cause over the years. We have just lit candles at the Assembly Hall of the Republic of Kosovo, a symbolism that is simple in appearance but profound in meaning, as Martin Luther King would say: \u201cDarkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.\u201d And today, when we say \u201cReturn my Light,\u201d we are talking about the light we owe to the truth, about the dignity that was attempted to be trampled on, and about the life that was cut in half. Few crimes strike human beings with such cruelty as sexual violence during the war, because through it, human dignity itself is fundamentally attacked. Sexual violence as one of the most cruel means of war is not a recent phenomenon or an occasional manifestation of human brutality. It is deeply rooted in the history of wars, as a recurring form of subjugation and social destruction. Since ancient wars, women\u2019s bodies have been treated as part of the spoils of war and as territory to be conquered along with the land. In the centuries that followed, this practice did not disappear, but took on more organized shape. During World War II, sexual violence was used on a large scale, from massacres in Asia to mass rapes in Europe, often tolerated or unpunished by military structures. In some cases, it was institutionalized, as in the systems of sexual slavery established by occupying armies. At the end of the twentieth century, in the wars of the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the world was confronted with a truth that could no longer be masked. Sexual violence, which until then was considered a consequence of war, was seen as its instrument, as it was used, with full awareness as a means of terror, as an instrument of humiliation, as a way to penetrate beyond the human body and strike at the dignity of the victim, the family, the community, the very social bond that keeps a people afloat. It was precisely during this period that international justice began to recognize it as a war crime, as a crime against humanity and, in certain circumstances, as an element of genocide. However, even when it was legally named, it remained for a long time enclosed in social silence. The shame was placed on the victims, while the crime was moved to the periphery of collective memory. In Kosovo, this brutal and cruel tool was exercised by the Serbian state apparatus and its military, police and paramilitary structures as part of an organized campaign of terror against the Albanian civilian population. And this must be said clearly. It was part of a conscious mechanism of violence, aimed at humiliating, subjugating and shaking the foundations of our society. Over twenty thousand women, men and children faced this crime during the last war in Kosovo. But this number is much more than a statistical figure. This number means truncated human destinies, families forced to bear great pain in silence, and entire lives forever divided in half. For years following the liberation, this part of our truth remained on the edge of public consciousness. The crime was known, but not pronounced with the weight it deserved. The survivors alone bore the burden of what society itself should have borne as responsibility, while the perpetrators of these crimes, in many cases, remained free, outside our jurisdiction and under the protection of Serbia. However, even in the midst of the darkness, a candle was lit, like the ones we lit together today. The silence was broken. We had women and men who found the strength to speak out when silence seemed easier. Women and men who did not ask to be seen with pity, but to be heard with dignity. They are among us today, here we have Vasfije, Shyrete, we have Dani, The late Marte Tunaj, survivor of sexual violence who with their voice changed not only the public discourse, but the very conscience of this state. Thanks to that courage, the Republic of Kosovo finally began to build an institutional response worthy of the gravity of this issue, starting from the legal recognition of the status of survivors of violence, to verification and support mechanisms, and to the inclusion of this day in the memorial calendar of our Republic. This date is related to April 14th 1999, the day when Vasfije Krasniqi was kidnapped and sexually raped. Vasfije, we are with you. You have the support of not only the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, but also of the entire Albanian nation and much more than the Albanian nation. In recent years, the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo have taken viable steps to address the crimes committed by Serbia in Kosovo: through the development of transitional justice policies that place the needs of the victims at the center, the establishment of an institution for documenting war crimes, strengthening the capacities of both the police and the prosecution for criminal prosecution, as well as enabling trials in absentia for war criminals, because Serbia continues to serve as a haven for many of the perpetrators of these crimes. There are already twelve indictments in the process for cases of sexual violence during the war, we have one final decision, that is, a conviction, a conviction verdict for this crime during the war, and two other decisions are also awaiting to become final. But justice remains truncated as long as many of the perpetrators of these crimes live free today in Serbia, sheltered and protected by a state that has not yet faced its responsibility for the crimes committed in Kosovo and that continues to refuse<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":187075,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111,105],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-187094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-speeches"],"yoast_head":"\n