Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha reacted today to the death in prison of Ratko Mladić, who received a life sentence for genocide and war crimes.
Hoxha described Mladić as a brutal killer who faced convictions for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia sentenced him to life in prison.
Hoxha recalled that Slobodan Milošević, Mladić’s political backer and one of the key figures behind the Balkan tragedy, also died in The Hague before the trial reached a final verdict.
However, Hoxha stressed that death does not erase guilt or rewrite history. He said the crimes committed in Srebrenica, Sarajevo and Kosovo, as well as the suffering of victims across the former Yugoslavia, must not disappear from public memory.
“Death, whether it comes to a convicted person or to someone who dies before justice reaches its full course, does not erase guilt or rewrite the historical record,” Hoxha said.
Moreover, he stressed that court decisions and historical facts remain. He added that society has a responsibility to remember the victims.
Finally, Hoxha called for justice, healing, reconciliation and cooperation. He said a shared European vision must prevent such crimes and policies from returning to the region or anywhere else.
“The responsibility to remember remains with us,” Hoxha said, adding that such atrocities must never happen again.
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