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UÇKHistory and Memory

Research articles

Research

Articles that follow a question from the source to the conclusion — and show where the conclusion remains open.
  • Reçak · provat · KVM01

    Reçak, 15 January 1999: what we know and how we know it

    A case study in evidence, denial and the limits of international justice

    The Reçak killings became a turning point in international diplomacy on Kosovo. This article clearly separates what was documented by the OSCE verification mission and human-rights organizations, the official Yugoslav version that disputed it, the forensic evidence and its limits, and the fact that no international judgment has ruled on individual criminal responsibility. It closes with the questions that remain open for research.

    5 min read16 September 2026Editorial status: Awaiting verification
  • UÇK · terminologjia · diplomacia02

    Terrorist, insurgent, liberation army: the labels applied to the KLA and their contexts

    How Belgrade, diplomats, the Security Council, courts and scholars named the KLA — and why a label is not a timeless fact

    In 1998–1999 the same organization was called "terrorist", "insurgent", "a party to the conflict" and "a liberation army". This article explains who used each label, when, in what context, and how the international position shifted within a few months. It separates political language from legal findings and academic analysis, and concludes with the principle that no label replaces evidence about the specific acts of individuals.

    4 min read16 September 2026Editorial status: Awaiting verification
  • viktimat · metodologjia · të zhdukurit03

    Names and numbers: how the victims of the Kosovo war are counted

    The Kosovo Memory Book, HRDAG's evaluation and why the figures differ

    How many people were killed in the Kosovo war has no simple answer. This article explains the Humanitarian Law Center's Kosovo Memory Book project, the importance of HRDAG's independent evaluation of its methodology, the definitions that determine who is counted, and why figures differ by period and source. It closes with the rules this archive follows: every figure with its source and date, no unverified lists, and no use of numbers to assign collective blame.

    4 min read16 September 2026Editorial status: Awaiting verification
  • NATO · e drejta ndërkombëtare · viktimat civile04

    Lawful or legitimate? The debate over NATO's 1999 intervention

    The UN Charter, the humanitarian argument, civilian harm and the KLA's role in ending the war

    NATO's air campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia began without Security Council authorization. This article sets out the legal arguments for and against the intervention, the formula of the Independent International Commission on Kosovo, the civilian harm documented by Human Rights Watch, the ICTY Prosecutor's review, and the debate over what forced Belgrade to accept the terms — including the role of the KLA. The aim is not a single answer but a clear map of the arguments.

    4 min read16 September 2026Editorial status: Awaiting verification