Large number of citizens are paying tribute at the Memorial Complex in Reçak, marking the 26th anniversary of the massacre in this village, in Shtime. Flowers are being placed at the graves of 45 innocent Albanian civilians who were killed.

Women, children, and the elderly were murdered by Serbian police and military forces in what is known as the massacre that shocked the world 26 years ago.

The first to tell the world about the crimes against humanity taking place in this Shtime village was William Walker, then head of the OSCE Verification Mission in Kosova.

All of the events are documented, yet Serbia continues to deny the massacre of January 15, 1999, which marked a turning point in Kosova’s history.

The tragic event in Reçak prompted an international response, leading NATO to launch airstrikes against Serbian military and police targets. These bombings lasted for 78 days and ended on June 10, 1999, when UN Security Council Resolution 1244 was adopted.

Following this, more than 800,000 Kosovan Albanian, forcibly displaced, began returning to their homes.

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