Thousands of citizens gathered today in the main squares of Prishtina to show their support for the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) who are on trial in The Hague. The march, organized by “Liria ka Emër” (“Freedom Has a Name”), called for justice for the KLA leadership, not politics, reports KosovaPress.
In addition to citizens from across the country, the region, and beyond, Kosovo’s president, Vjosa Osmani, also participated in the march, standing alongside the son of former president Hashim Thaci, Endrit.
Although the KLA leadership is currently in detention, they followed the march in solidarity, which today filled the capital’s main squares.
Holding banners that read “Freedom Has a Name,” “History Cannot Be Rewritten,” and “Freedom in the Name of the People,” Albanians demanded justice for the former leaders of the KLA.
Ismajl Tasholli, founder of the “Liria ka Emër” platform, said that despite ongoing trials, the KLA’s struggle was a liberation effort and cannot be relativized.
According to him, the demands are for impartial justice, not political agendas, rejecting any equation of the aggressor with the victim.
From Prishtina, Tasholli sent a message of support to the accused in The Hague, emphasizing that an entire nation stands behind them and that this is only the beginning.
“When it comes to the KLA, there are no divisions, no positions — we are completely united, the sons and daughters of a history that has united us in the toughest moments. The KLA is not a party flag; it is the foundation of our freedom, and we speak of it without distinctions, with one heart. In every village and every town we went with Eliza for the organization of the march, one word prevailed above all: KLA. It was the word of honor, the word that united us, the word that filled our eyes with tears and hearts with pride. There was no home, no square where we did not see the name of the KLA being mentioned and respected with love. We have seen how much this people loves the KLA — as a symbol, as sacrifice, as the foundation of freedom, as part of our identity. That feeling has united us everywhere, a pride that never fades, and a silent vow that its honor will not be touched,” he said.
Amid emotions and tears, Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman called for the release of the former KLA leaders.
In her speech, she emphasized that injustice and the violation of freedom are what unite the Albanian people, calling for justice and support for the former KLA leaders facing trial in The Hague.
Krasniqi Goodman named Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi, expressing her belief that they will be freed.
“Happy Independence Day. I have many emotions speaking before all of you here. I attended the Parade of the Kosovo Army and Police for the first time, and it was an extraordinary feeling to see the sons and daughters of Adem Jashari defending Kosovo today. This holy day for our people — the 18th anniversary of Independence — is a day of pride for all of us, but also a reminder of all those who sacrificed for our freedom. This freedom did not come on its own; it was earned with blood, with sacrifice, enduring through the centuries. I have the honor of speaking as a special envoy of President Vjosa Osmani for sexual violence, so that the voices of victims are heard worldwide. We speak for justice and the crimes committed by Serbia in Kosovo. We are all here to free them from The Hague because if you want to know what unites the Albanian people, it is the violation of freedom and injustice. Thank you to all of you who served the homeland when it needed it most — the KLA. Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi — they will be freed; they defended their people like the entire Kosovo Liberation Army,” she said.
The speech at this grand march in support of the former KLA leaders was also given by former KLA fighter Muhamer Ibrahimi, who said they are not afraid of justice because those who fight for freedom are never afraid of the truth.
Ibrahimi told thousands of citizens that they are at the march because the heart of Kosovo, along with every participant, beats with great concern in The Hague, where a prolonged trial against the KLA leadership is taking place.
“Today is February 17, the day Kosovo’s freedom became a state. But we are not here just to celebrate; we are here because the heart of Kosovo, along with each of us, beats with great concern in The Hague, in the final phase of a process lasting over five years, where the leaders of our army who took responsibility — Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi — are on trial. They stood when many others had left. We are not afraid of justice because those who fight for freedom are never afraid of the truth. But we have the right to demand impartial justice; we have the right to demand that our history is neither distorted nor rewritten; we must ensure that sacrifice is not turned into blame. The KLA was not an organization for survival but a shield for children, women, the elderly, a shield for our doorstep, for our land. It was the final response of a people threatened with extinction,” she declared.
One of the first female fighters of the KLA, Shqipe Krasniqi, emphasized that the trial of former KLA leaders in The Hague directly affects the memory and sacrifice of the liberation struggle.
During the march “Justice, Not Politics,” she stated that on Independence Day, citizens are not only gathered to celebrate but to remember the high price of freedom and to support comrades facing international justice.
“I have never seen Kosovo more united than today. On Independence Day, we are not gathered just to mark this day; we are gathered to remember sacrifice, long journeys, pain, a great price for freedom. This is not just a protest; it is the conscience and support that the people give to their children. It is the voice of those who are no longer with us, the word of mothers who still wait. For those who don’t know me, I am Shqipe Krasniqi. I am one of the thousands of women who witnessed the war with their own eyes. I grew up at a time when being Albanian in Kosovo meant living with fear, restrictions, and daily injustices. I saw parents lose their jobs, professors expelled, students persecuted, entire families humiliated just for being Albanian. I saw fathers humbled, mothers secretly crying so their children wouldn’t see their tears. I saw our youth grow up without rights, but always with pride. Above all, I saw Albanian women, mothers sharing their bread with their children, seeing sisters become mothers, fathers absent from their homes. I saw women sending their sons to fight with broken hearts but heads held high; they had no uniform, but they carried hope alive. They did not enter history with titles, but history would not exist without them. That is when I understood that silence is surrender — and this people does not know surrender,” Krasniqi said.
She added that injustice against the former leaders pains the entire society because it undermines the sacrifices made for the country’s liberation.
According to Krasniqi, facing justice is part of state-building, but justice must be independent and based on the facts and circumstances of the wartime period.
“Like many Albanian girls and women, I took up arms and joined the KLA ranks. Not because I loved war, but because I wanted freedom. When dignity is denied, resistance becomes a duty for everyone. We lost much, our homes burned, villages emptied, mothers left with photographs in hand and silence in their homes. But one thing did not burn, it was not broken, it did not fade — and that is the spirit of this people. I see that spirit here among you. On every martyr’s grave, there is a mother who gave everything; on every flag that waves, there is a tear shed. This war, for which the KLA leaders are now being tried in The Hague, was not a choice but a fight for survival. We stood, we resisted, because the future was behind us. Today, my comrades are facing injustice from the Special Court. This pains all of us because it affects the memory and sacrifice of our people. Today, when we demand justice, we do not ask for mercy; we demand true justice, without politics, impartial, respecting the facts and wartime circumstances. Because when sacrifices are judged unfairly, the memory of our people is harmed. Facing justice is part of state-building, but justice must be uninfluenced. When justice is harmed, trust is harmed, and when trust is harmed, the future is at risk. Our presence here today sends a message to everyone who doubts our resistance,” she said.
Xhavit Haziri’s son, Çlirim Haziri, stated that they will not allow sacrifice to be equated with guilt and that they will not leave their heroes alone in The Hague.
“I did not grow up with hatred; I grew up with pride because those who are no longer with us did not sacrifice only for themselves but so that we could live freely today. They were the sons of the KLA, the army that turned hope into freedom. Today, gathered here, we are not separate families but one large family of sacrifice — the family of Rexha, of Uncle Jakup, the Kadriu family, the Hashim family — because when sacrifice is touched, we all rise together. Therefore, February 17 is not just a holiday; it is a vow that we do not forget sacrifice, a vow that we do not allow our fighters to be burdened, a vow that we do not bow before injustice, a vow that we defend the KLA fight with dignity… We will not allow history to be distorted, we will not allow sacrifice to be equated with guilt, we will not leave our heroes alone in The Hague,” he said.
On February 9 of this year, the final statements began in The Hague for the trial of the former KLA leaders.
This marks the final phase of the largest trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
The defense teams of Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi have requested that all four be acquitted of all charges.
They stated before the panel that there is no evidence supporting the allegations made by the Special Prosecutor’s Office regarding war crimes.
The Chief Specialist Prosecutor, Kimberly West, has requested a 45-year prison sentence for each of the former KLA leaders.
Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi face charges brought by the Office of the Specialist Prosecutor, which they have rejected as unfounded. The defense has also refuted these charges, arguing that the KLA did not have an organized command structure.
The trial against them began on April 3, 2023 — nearly three years after the indictment was confirmed — while the former KLA leaders have been held in The Hague detention center.
