The Senate of the University of Pristina approved yesterday a declaration dedicated to the people of Kosovo’s struggle for freedom, democracy and independence. In the document, the university stresses that justice must function independently, impartially and objectively, based on evidence, legal standards and the basic principles of due process.
Të lidhura
None found
The university states that lasting justice cannot be built on collective prejudice. According to the university, the history of the Kosovo war must be viewed within the political, social and humanitarian circumstances of the time.
The declaration states that the war waged by the Kosovo Liberation Army was part of the Kosovo people’s effort to defend their homes, lives, human dignity, individual and collective freedom, and their right to live without repression and violence. The university assesses that the conflict unfolded amid systematic violence, mass expulsions and the displacement of Kosovo’s Albanian population, accompanied by serious and systematic violations of human rights and humanitarian law. According to the institution, these events are a documented part of Kosovo’s history and must be taken into account in any serious consideration of the struggle for freedom. NATO’s support and intervention, the declaration further states, must also be understood in the context of the humanitarian crisis, widespread violence, the expulsion of the population and the need to protect it.
The University of Pristina also refers to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, dated July 22, 2010. In that opinion, the court had found that Kosovo’s declaration of independence, proclaimed on February 17, 2008, had not violated international law.
The institution stresses that historical truth must be established through documents, testimony, scientific research and open academic debate. For the university, the history of the Kosovo war should not be determined by denial, relativization or political exploitation, but by a critical and responsible analysis of the facts.
As the largest public institution of higher education and scientific research in Kosovo, the University of Pristina declares that it is ready to engage its academic, scientific and institutional capacities in documenting, studying and shedding light on the historical truth about Kosovo’s war of liberation, the expulsion and systematic violence against the civilian population, the experiences of victims and displaced people, as well as the path that led to Kosovo’s freedom and statehood. According to the declaration, this commitment constitutes an obligation to the truth, to the victims and to the generations who experienced the war, but also to young people, who have the right to know the history of their country on the basis of facts, documents and academic standards.
The university states that it will continue to defend academic freedom, scientific research and the right to study Kosovo’s history without fear, pressure or political interference. At the same time, it remains ready to offer its expertise and academic capacities in any serious effort to document and shed light on the historical truth about the Kosovo war, its path to freedom and the building of the state of Kosovo, the declaration says.
