Dr. Feride Rushiti

Dr. Feride Rushiti is founder and executive director of the Kosovo Center for the Rehabilitation of Torture Victims.  Through almost two decades of research and advocacy, Dr. Rushiti has secured access to healthcare and justice for civilian victims of Kosovo’s 1998-1999 war.  In 2017, her advocacy led to a landmark government decision to fund pensions for Kosovo’s victims of wartime sexual violence, setting a precedent for governmental engagement in efforts to deal with Kosovo’s wartime past.  Dr. Rushiti, a medical doctor, began treating civilian victims of war during active conflict in 1999.  She was among the first doctors to recognize the need for treatment of psychological trauma for refugees fleeing the violence, particularly among women and minority groups.  She pioneered a multi-disciplinary approach to address the needs of conflict victims, envisioning a single organization providing psychosocial support, legal assistance, medication, treatment, and policy advocacy.  Dr. Rushiti also played a key role in developing Kosovo’s legal framework for the humane treatment of prisoners and other detainees, advocating successfully for independent monitoring of detention facilities.