During the training, four lectures were delivered by experienced experts in the field: Jeta Xharra, Executive Director of BIRN Kosovo; Drita Hajdari, former war crimes prosecutor; Ibrahim Makolli, human rights and dealing with the past expert; and Labinot Leposhtica, Head of the Legal Office at BIRN Kosovo. The speakers shared their professional perspectives and first-hand experiences in war crimes documentation and investigations, as well as the ethical challenges of reporting on sensitive and complex issues.
A strong focus of the training was placed on the documentation and prosecution of war crimes, a topic that generated extensive discussion among participants representing various institutions and professions within the justice system. The sessions covered topics such as the documentation of war crimes in international media; the collection of evidence from institutional and non-governmental sources; the transition of war crimes investigations from international to domestic mechanisms, with particular attention to strengthening prosecutorial capacities; and the impact of hate speech and disinformation on establishing truth and accountability for war crimes.
Participants came from a wide range of institutions and professional backgrounds, including legal officers from Basic Prosecution Offices and Courts, lawyers and legal practitioners, representatives of the Kosovo Correctional Service, staff from the Kosovo Institute of Forensic Medicine, and police officers from the Kosovo Police unit responsible for investigating war crimes.
All training sessions were designed to be highly interactive, allowing participants to actively engage through questions and the exchange of perspectives on the issues discussed. Participants highlighted the need to strengthen inter-institutional cooperation to improve outcomes that benefit society as a whole, particularly by clarifying the fate of missing persons. Special emphasis was placed on understanding reconciliation not as forgiveness, but as the recognition of victims’ suffering and the acknowledgment of their rights and dignity.
The training brought together 58 participants, 30 of whom were women, representing various public-sector institutions.
The “Reconcile” project is funded by the European Union. The content and views expressed are the sole responsibility of BIRN Kosovo and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Workshop Overview and Participant Breakdown
Date: 26 January 2026
Location: Pristina, Kosovo
Number of participants per country: Kosovo 58
Total number of participants: 58
The full findings and activities are available in the EDS Report, which can be accessed here.