Kosovo harshly condemns Serbian minister’s statement on ethnic cleansing

The Institute of Crimes Committed During the War in Kosovo has erupted in reaction after remarks by Serbian government minister Snezhana Paunović, who stated that if she were in Slobodan Milošević’s position, she would have carried out “the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo.” According to the institution, this grave statement underscores the continuity of an unchanged rhetoric that was precisely the backbone of the conflict, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity that occurred on Kosovo’s territory.

In its reaction, the institute recalls that the atrocities committed during the 1998–1999 period were met with international justice, where the highest political, military, and police figures of Milošević’s apparatus were convicted for war crimes in Kosovo.

“Despite this, even to this day, high officials of the Serbian state continue to use language that minimizes or legitimizes policies that left behind thousands killed, mass deportations, acts of sexual violence, and enforced disappearances. In parallel, the process of documenting war crimes continues in Kosovo. We at IKKL collect evidence and testimonies, convinced that they form the basis for establishing justice, acknowledging guilt, and seeking institutional apology,” the statement says.

Highlighting the importance of confronting history, the reaction ends with the message that only an honest treatment of the past remains essential to building mutual trust and ensuring long-term peace in the region.