March ends: Thousands of citizens demand justice for former KLA leaders
Photo: Driton Paçarada
The "Justice, Not Politics" march, which demanded justice for the former KLA leaders who are being tried in The Hague, has ended.
Thousands of citizens from all Albanian regions participated in the march held in "Skënderbeu" Square.
Son of soldier missing in war: We will not allow sacrifice to be equated with guilt
Lirim Haziri, son of Xhavit Haziri, co-founder of the Kosovo Liberation Army, missing since 1998, has said that February 17 is not just a holiday, but an oath that should not be allowed to be tarnished.
At the "Justice, Not Politics" march, Haziri said that sacrifice should not be allowed to be equated with guilt.
"Today I speak before you as the son of Xhavit Haziri, the national hero, who disappeared in 1998. A hero who went out for freedom and never returned... We gathered here today are not divided families, but we are one big family of sacrifice. We are Rexha's family, the family of uncle Jakup, Veseli's family and Hashim's family. Because the sacrifice of the KLA does not belong to just one family, it belongs to the entire nation. Therefore, February 17 is not just a holiday, it is an oath that we will not forget the sacrifice, an oath that we will not allow our fighters to be tarnished. An oath that we will not bow our heads before injustice. We will not allow sacrifice to be equated with guilt.
Former KLA fighter: Silence is surrender, but these people don't know how to surrender
Former KLA fighter, Shqipe Krasniqi, said that she has never seen Kosovo more united and vocal than today.
She said that on Independence Day they did not gather just to celebrate, but to remember the sacrifice of the people.
He added that this protest is the voice of those who are no longer living.
"I have seen humiliated families, mothers who cried in secret, students persecuted just because they were Albanians. I have seen women who accompanied their sons to war with broken hearts but with their heads held high. They did not go down in history with titles, but history would not exist without them. Silence is surrender and this people does not know how to surrender. Like many Albanian girls and women, I took up arms and went to the front. Not because I loved war but because I loved freedom. Our houses were burned and our villages were emptied. One thing was not burned nor extinguished, and that is the spirit of this people," she said.
Ibrahimi: We are not afraid of justice, whoever fights for freedom is not afraid of the truth
Former Kosovo Liberation Army fighter Muhamer Ibrahimi said that many years ago, there were some young men in the war who did not know what they would face in the morning. But, he added, they had the unbreakable faith that one day Kosovo would become free.
He declared that today is the day when Kosovo's freedom has been turned into a state.
He said that the heart of Kosovo is beating in The Hague in a process that has been too long.
"We are not afraid of justice, because whoever fights for freedom is not afraid of the truth. We have the right to demand impartial justice. The KLA was not an organization for survival, for a shield for children, women and the elderly. It was the response of a people that was disappearing. Today when I see this sea of people, I know that those in The Hague are not alone," he said.
He stated that Kosovo was not built by silence, but by courage and sacrifice.
Krasniqi: Freedom and justice are what unite the Albanian people
Sexual violence survivor Vasfije Krasniqi said it was emotional to address such a large crowd.
He declared that today is a holy day for the people of Kosovo.
"Today is a day of pride but also a day of remembrance for all those who sacrificed themselves for the people. This did not come by itself but with sacrifice. We talk about justice and the crimes that Serbia committed in Kosovo. If you want to know what unites the Albanian people, it is freedom," she said.
Tasholli: We are all together for the KLA, justice should not equate the victim with the aggressor
The organizer of the "Justice, Not Politics" protest, Ismail Tasholli, said that when it comes to the KLA, there are no divisions or posts.
He declared that they are all together for the KLA.
According to him, justice should not be selective, adding that citizens want justice, not politics.
"There we are the sons and daughters of a history that has united us in the worst moments. In every city and village we have been to, one word has been above all, KLA. This is the pride that does not fade. Today is February 17, it is the day when a people declared before the world the right to statehood, freedom and dignity. This day is not only a celebration but also a memory", he said. He said that the KLA war was a liberation war. According to him, the war is not abstract because there are numbers of people killed, raped and mistreated. Tasholli said that all of these are open wounds. "We must clearly state the difference between the aggressor and the victim. The KLA was not born to take foreign land but to defend its own land. This is the historical truth that cannot be changed. We cannot accept that the processes that are taking place in the name of the people of Kosovo equate the victim with the aggressor", he said.
Thousands of citizens gather in the "Justice, not politics" march (PHOTOS)
Photo: Driton Paçarada
Thousands of citizens have gathered in "Skënderbeu" Square in Pristina for the "Justice, Not Politics" march, in support of the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) who are being tried in The Hague.
Former President Hashim Thaçi, former Speakers of Parliament Kadri Veseli and Jakup Krasniqi, as well as former Chief of Vetëvendosje MPs Rexhep Selimi, are accused of joint criminal enterprise related to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The former leaders of the KLA general staff have denied all these accusations.
Buja: The special will go down in history as the most pointless court
Former member of the General Staff of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Ramë Buja, has said that the Special Court will go down in history as the most meaningless court in history.
He said that there is a tendency to equate Serbia's crimes with the alleged crimes committed in Kosovo.
"It is a banal, meaningless tendency to equate Serbia's crimes with the alleged crimes committed in Kosovo. If crimes had been committed in Kosovo, why did NATO support us, why did America, Britain, Germany and France support us, these are things that are beyond wonder. I believe that this court will go down in history as the most meaningless court," Buja declared in the KTV special broadcast for the 18th anniversary of Independence.
He said that 45 years of imprisonment were requested for those who led the fight for Kosovo's freedom that was supported by the whole world.
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"We are aware that the Prosecution always seeks the maximum of what is legal, but the law of Kosovo, with which the Special Court should work, is sentencing war criminals who directly participated in the killing of Albanians to 12, 13, 15 years, because that is the law. While the prosecutor there proposes 45 years in prison for the 4 leaders of the war for Kosovo's freedom that was supported by the whole world," said Buja.
He said that the Special Court was formed based on the report of the then Swiss senator, Dick Marty, which was approved by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and alleged that leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, during the 1998-99 war, were involved in organ trafficking. Buja said that for 5 years now in the judicial process in The Hague, not a single word has been said about these allegations.
Rama does not participate in the "Justice, not politics" march
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has said that he will not be able to participate in the "Justice, Not Politics" march, in support of former KLA leaders who are being tried in The Hague.
In a post on the social network Facebook, he expressed regret for not participating, while referring to the former leaders of the KLA General Staff who are being held in The Hague as "KLA hostages."
"I wish Kosovo a happy independence, with regret that I cannot be present today at the popular manifestation of solidarity with the four KLA hostages in the hell of international (in)justice in The Hague," Rama wrote in the post, in which he also attached several photos from the visit he made to Kosovo on Monday.
Gucati calls for participation in the protest: Individuals are not being tried, but the KLA
The Chairman of the Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans Organization, Hysni Gucati, said that today is a day of joy but added that it is also emotional because of the former KLA leaders who are being held in The Hague.
In a live broadcast on KTV, he said that their friends are behind bars. He stated that Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasnqi and Rexhep Selimi are not being tried, but the Kosovo Liberation Army is being tried.
He has requested that state institutions raise their voices more against this court.
He said that the protest will strengthen Kosovo's international image and the demand for the release of former KLA leaders.
"Today I am not feeling well because we have our friends behind bars. They fought a lot, led Rambouillet, declared Independence and today they are behind bars. A process is being carried out for five years, a process that has never happened in world history to last so long. I know that this date is sacred for all Albanians, but today we will protest, raise our voices against injustice. The main protagonists who were in the war and in the free state, are not with us today," he said.
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Gucati has called on all citizens of Kosovo to participate in the peaceful protest in Pristina.
He said that everyone should raise their voices, adding that the Prosecution's request for 180 years in prison for the four KLA figures is unacceptable.
"Only Serbian is not spoken there. This court has only satisfied the desires of Serbia and some Albanian-speaking Albanians who think that Serbia will return to Kosovo. Serbia has left Kosovo and there will be no Serbian army, only the Kosovo army," he said.
Gucati said that Serbia is the only one that has committed crimes in Kosovo.
He stated that they demand justice and equality from the Special Court.
According to him, this court has amnestied Serbs, while it is trying to punish Albanians.
Speaking about the organization of the protest, he said that all the schedules for the buses that will come to Pristina for the protest have been released. Protesters from all cities in Kosovo. He added that students from Tirana will also come in an organized manner.
Today in Pristina there is a march in support of former KLA leaders in The Hague
Photo: Archive
With the motto "Justice, not politics", a march is being held today in Pristina at "Skënderbeu" Square in support of the leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army who are being tried in The Hague.
In support of the march organized by the "Freedom has a Name" platform, which is scheduled to start at 14:00 PM, the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, the Speaker of the Parliament, Albulena Haxhiu, the mayors of many municipalities and many other personalities in the country have come out.
Organizers have called for mass participation.
Former President Hashim Thaçi, former Speakers of Parliament Kadri Veseli and Jakup Krasniqi, and former Chief of the Vetëvendosje MPs Rexhep Selimi, are accused of joint criminal enterprise in connection with war crimes and crimes against humanity. Based on the indictment of the ZPS published in February 2023, Thaçi, Veseli, Krasniqi and Selimi are accused of joint criminal enterprise in connection with about 100 murders, then for torture and cruel treatment in about 40 detention centers during the period 1998-1999.
Former leaders of the KLA general staff have denied all these accusations. They have said that the KLA did not have such a hierarchy, since the area commanders had the weight, and that its purpose was to fight Serbia, not civilians.
In her closing statement, the Chief Prosecutor of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office, Kimberly West, requested a 45-year sentence for each defendant.