On January 15, 1999, Serbian forces carried out a massacre in the small village of Reçak, killing 45 Albanian civilians, including children, women, and the elderly. Despite thorough documentation and international reports, including statements from OSCE’s William Walker, Serbia continues to deny the atrocity, calling it a “staged event.” This massacre was part of a larger campaign by Serbia against the Albanian population in Kosovo. Although some lower-level individuals were convicted, those responsible for ordering the killings have not been held accountable. NATO’s intervention, following the massacre, led to 78 days of airstrikes, eventually resulting in the withdrawal of Serbian forces and the return of over 800,000 displaced Albanians. The war left over 13,000 civilians dead and more than 6,000 still missing.

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