Dr. Atdhe Hetemi at the IKKL Conference: Advancing War Crimes Documentation and Historical Justice. 
Dr. Atdhe Hetemi, Director of the Institute for War Crimes in Kosovo (IKKL), opened the first international IKKL Conference today, on Kosovo’s independence day, marking a significant step forward in the research and documentation of war crimes committed during the 1998-99 war in Kosovo.
Dr. Hetemi emphasized that documenting war crimes is not just an academic pursuit but a foundational element in strengthening Kosovo’s statehood, international recognition, and the pursuit of justice.
The choice to inaugurate this conference on February 17 is intentional—it serves as a reminder that Kosovo’s independence is not just a political or legal reality but a response to historical injustices. He underscored the duty of Kosovo’s institutions to ensure that truth is preserved, protected, and continually remembered.
One Year of Progress: Strengthening Kosovo’s War Crimes Archive
Reflecting on the past year, Dr. Hetemi highlighted the significant progress IKKL has made in building a credible and accessible war crimes archive. Since receiving its first collection of documents on February 17, 2024, IKKL has gathered materials from over 160 sources, including institutions, organizations, media, and individuals from Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and beyond. Today, this archive is a critical reference for national and international researchers working to document and understand the scale of war crimes in Kosovo.
A Future Built on Truth and Accountability
Dr. Hetemi stressed that this conference is not solely about the past but also about shaping the future. Sustainable peace in the Balkans can only be achieved through a fact-based historical record, documented with professional methodology and recognized internationally. The conference’s academic program, curated under the guidance of Prof. Aidan Hehir and Prof. Furtuna Sheremeti, has undergone a rigorous selection process to ensure scientific integrity and objectivity. The resulting Edited Volume aims for publication with a leading international academic publisher, such as Cambridge University Press, Routledge, or Palgrave Macmillan, reinforcing Kosovo’s contributions to global transitional justice scholarship.
In closing, Dr. Hetemi thanked the conference organizing team and all participants for their dedication to advancing research on war crimes in Kosovo. He expressed confidence that the insights from this conference would serve as a valuable academic and policy resource, filling critical gaps in international literature on war crimes in Kosovo.
