27 years after the war in Kosovo, preliminary list of victims released: reasons for the delay remain under debate

More than a quarter of a century after the end of the war in Kosovo, a consultative meeting was held at which the initial version of the preliminary list of war victims was presented. The aim of this process is to establish a verified and reliable state record of the victims of the last war.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti underlined that documenting war crimes and creating an accurate database are essential. According to him, this carries weight both for justice and for preserving the country’s historical memory.

However, at the center of the discussion remains the fact that such a list is only now being compiled. Debate also continues over whether this delay came as a result of negligence or political calculations over the years.

“Negligence and uncertainty have hindered a credible list”

On this issue, legal and political affairs expert Blerim Burjani told “Bota sot” that the absence of a credible list of victims, together with institutional negligence, has created major uncertainty in the handling of war crimes.

He assessed that the accurate recording of victims is especially important for creating the legal basis for possible lawsuits against the Serbian state in the future.

“Negligence, not the certainty that a credible list could provide, is of great importance in order to file a lawsuit against the Serbian state at any time,” Burjani said.

According to him, a more advanced legal step should now be taken, one that would include a comprehensive lawsuit over the mass killings of Albanians during the war.

Burjani also stressed that in the past there were major political calculations regarding the drafting of the lists of victims and the damages caused by Serbia.

“There were many political calculations over whether this list should be compiled, because it was believed that a Kosovo–Serbia agreement could be reached through dialogue, which failed long ago,” he said.

According to Burjani, for future legal processes, both the lists of victims and those of damages remain essential, including looting and the destruction of family economies and private property.

“Documenting the victims is a moral and institutional obligation”

On the other hand, Professor Dr. Muhamet Racaj said in a conversation with “Bota sot” that drafting a state list of war victims in Kosovo, 27 years after its end, constitutes a necessary step for the state of Kosovo.

He said that every state that has gone through war has a moral, institutional and legal obligation to accurately document the victims of aggression, both to honor their dignity and to preserve the historical truth.

“Compiling a state list of war victims is a necessary step for the Republic of Kosovo,” Racaj stressed.

According to him, although this process is being finalized now, institutional efforts over the years to document the victims, the missing and those affected by the war have not been lacking.

Racaj said that various databases have been built and verification processes have been carried out, but without achieving a single comprehensive register at the state level.

He stressed that it is not fair to say this issue was deliberately neglected by post-war governments, but neither should its finalization be attributed to just one executive.

According to the professor, the process has lacked full inter-institutional coordination, a unified methodology and sustained continuity.

Racaj underlined that a verified and reliable list is of strategic importance for Kosovo, as it strengthens its international position and helps in the prosecution of war crimes.

He added that it also serves to prevent the denial of crimes and to preserve the historical memory of the victims.

In the end, Racaj called for this process to be treated as a state project, beyond political and party divisions, and to be completed in a transparent and professional manner.

He also stressed that state institutions, experts, associations of victims’ family members and international partners should be involved in this process, so that Kosovo has a reliable and sustainable record.