Feride Rushiti is a medical doctor and a prominent human-rights activist from Kosovo best known for founding the Kosova Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (KRCT) in 1999 and serving as its Executive Director. Trained at the Faculty of Medicine in Tirana, she combined clinical skills with a focus on the psychological and social needs of people affected by violence and abuse. Her background in medicine provided a foundation for specialized rehabilitation work and public advocacy on behalf of survivors.

The KRCT was established in the immediate aftermath of the 1998–1999 conflict in Kosovo to respond to a surge of returnees and refugees who had experienced beatings, torture, inhumane treatment and sexual violence. Rushiti and her colleagues delivered early medical and psychosocial assistance to displaced populations, many of whom arrived in neighboring Albania or returned to Kosovo with untreated injuries and trauma. Her role in those first post-war months linked clinical care to documentation and rights-based support, and she has been identified as an early figure in Kosovo’s broader human rights movement.

Work and services

  • Medical and psychosocial rehabilitation: integrated clinical care, trauma counselling and psychiatric referrals for survivors of torture and wartime abuse.
  • Legal and social assistance: help with documentation, access to social services, and legal support aimed at recognition and restitution.
  • Research and documentation: collecting verified reports of abuse, producing studies to inform policy and contribute to transitional justice processes.
  • Economic reintegration: vocational training and small-scale support measures to reduce stigma and promote independent livelihoods.

Over two decades, Rushiti’s work at KRCT emphasized those twin tracks of individual rehabilitation and systemic change. The centre’s combination of patient care, evidence-gathering and public advocacy sought to make survivors’ needs visible to government institutions and international actors. Rushiti’s medical training at the University of Tirana has frequently been cited as part of her professional foundation for leading multidisciplinary teams that include doctors, psychologists, social workers and legal advisors.

One of the most noted outcomes of this advocacy was the recognition and legal acknowledgment of survivors of wartime sexual violence as civilian victims of the conflict in Kosovo. Persistent campaigning helped secure policy changes and, in 2017, a government decision that allowed targeted funding for long-term support, including state-financed pensions or retirement benefits for qualifying survivors. That milestone reflected years of documentation, public education, and negotiation with authorities.

From about 2007 onward, Rushiti also focused on the rights and treatment of persons deprived of liberty, including detainees and prisoners, advocating for humane conditions, medical care and legal safeguards. Her approach has combined monitoring, reporting and capacity-building among institutions responsible for detention, aiming to prevent torture and improve compliance with international standards.

Feride Rushiti’s combination of clinical care, institutional advocacy and public documentation has earned international recognition and contributed to policy shifts in Kosovo. Her leadership at KRCT illustrates how rehabilitative services and rights-based advocacy can work together in post-conflict settings to support survivors, press for legal recognition, and reduce stigma. Awards and international attention have highlighted the ongoing importance of rehabilitation work while underscoring the long-term nature of recovery and institutional reform in post-war societies.