Dear Madam President,
Wishing you success in the exercise of your duties, on behalf of the governing bodies of the League of Historians of Kosovo "Ali Hadri" branch in Deçan, we address you with the request for the approval of a Resolution by the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo regarding the book "Massacres in Kosovo 1998-1999", by the author Shkëlzen Gashi.
This request stems from the need for a clear institutional stance towards addressing one of the most sensitive issues of our recent history. The way the events of 1998-1999 are presented in this publication, including the wording of the title, does not clearly define responsibility for the crimes committed in Kosovo, leaving the role of the Serbian state unaddressed and creating space for interpretations that violate historical truth.
Given the importance of these events in the collective memory and in the construction of the state narrative, we consider that the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo have an obligation to react responsibly, defending the truth based on verified facts and scientific standards. The treatment of topics related to the crimes of the Serbian genocide in Kosovo requires a careful, professional and institutionalized approach, in order to avoid misinterpretations and their relativization.
In this context, we believe that the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo should take an active role in guiding public and scientific discourse, supporting relevant academic and research institutions in addressing these issues and ensuring that publications of this nature pass through professional and scientific filters.
The adoption of a Resolution would constitute an act of particular importance, not only on an institutional level, but also on a social and historical level, contributing to preserving the integrity of historical memory, respecting the victims, and strengthening a narrative based on truth and justice.
Therefore, we propose that the Resolution of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo include the following points:
- The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo expresses its official position of distancing itself from the content and approach of the book "Massacres in Kosovo 1998-1999" by author Shkëlzen Gashi, assessing that it does not fully and accurately reflect responsibility for the crimes of Serbian genocide in Kosovo.
- The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo reiterates that the events of 1998-1999 constitute crimes of Serbian genocide in Kosovo, as well as serious war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed by the Serbian state apparatus.
- The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo emphasizes that the denial, relativization or misrepresentation of the crimes of the Serbian genocide in Kosovo constitutes a serious violation of the historical truth and the collective memory of the people of Kosovo.
- The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo requests that the treatment and publication of topics related to the crimes of the Serbian genocide in Kosovo be done through the country's scientific and academic institutions, such as the Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Institute of History, the Albanological Institute and the Institute for War Crimes Research in Kosovo.
- The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo calls on authors, researchers and organizations to respect the highest professional, scientific and ethical standards when dealing with the crimes of the Serbian genocide in Kosovo, avoiding any form of relativization, minimization or deformation of these crimes.
- The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo is committed to strongly supporting institutional and scientific initiatives for the documentation, study and publication of the crimes of the Serbian genocide in Kosovo, in the interest of justice and the preservation of historical memory.
- The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo requests the relevant institutions to intensify efforts for the full documentation and internationalization of the truth about the crimes of the Serbian genocide in Kosovo.
Dear Madam President,
Considering the importance of this issue for historical truth, collective memory and the dignity of the victims, we kindly ask you to treat this request with priority and proceed for consideration in the relevant bodies of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo. We are convinced that a clear institutional position through the adoption of this resolution will contribute to the protection of the truth about the crimes of the Serbian genocide in Kosovo and to the strengthening of the role of our institutions in its preservation and promotion./Periscopes
