The chairman of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Bedri Hamza, emphasized that the 28th anniversary of the KLA Epic is a moment to remember the heroic sacrifice of the Jashari family and all KLA fighters, which marked a historic turning point for Kosovo’s freedom.
Hamza praised the determination and heroism of the Jashari family, highlighting that their legacy is greater than any political position.
“It has been 28 years since those three days in March that changed the fate of Kosovo forever. On March 5, 6, and 7, 1998, an Albanian family decided to stand firm on the threshold of their own home against an entire invading army. But those three days were not just a battle in the calendar of our history; they are an enduring lesson about the true meaning of freedom, because there are moments when history is not written by numbers, military strength, or political calculations—history is written by the moral decisions of people who refuse to submit. And in those three days in Prekaz, the history of Kosovo took exactly this form. Prekaz was not just a village; it became an altar of freedom. And the Jashari family became a symbol of the conscience and resilience of an entire people,” Hamza said.
He added that on this anniversary it must be remembered that the KLA’s fight was just and for freedom, while also recalling the trials ongoing at The Hague against Adem Jashari’s comrades-in-arms.
“On this anniversary, we must also remember another truth: today, when there are attempts to judge our liberation struggle and rewrite our history, as the comrades of Adem Jashari—President Thaçi, Chairman Veseli, Uncle Jakup, and Rexha—are being tried at The Hague, we must be clear about one thing: the KLA’s fight was a just war, for freedom, dignity, and the fundamental right of a people to live freely on their land. This is the historical truth. Dear Uncle Rifat, on this 28th anniversary, with the utmost respect for the stance of the Jashari family and their determination to stand above any political or personal interest, we say that the Jashari family is greater than any political position. They are a heroic family in the history of our nation,” Hamza said.
He also recalled that Serbian forces attacked Prekaz three times, and that the March 1998 siege ended with 59 martyrs.
“However, the history of what happened in March 1998 must always be remembered in its entirety. Serbian forces had not attacked Prekaz and the Jashari family for the first time; within a few years, these forces launched three assaults against the Jasharis. The first two attacks were repelled because in that tower did not simply stand a family, but an unbreakable will for liberation. The third time, in March 1998, the Serbian regime decided to use all its military machinery against the Jashari family. The siege lasted three days—three days of resistance and heroism, where men, women, and children fought for the freedom of Kosovo. In those three days, a great truth of human history was proven. Freedom is not merely a political ideal; it is a decision—a decision not to surrender, a decision to sacrifice everything when the dignity of a people is at stake. In that three-day battle, 59 martyrs fell, but from that blood arose a force that could never be stopped again. The will of a people for freedom embodied in the KLA. Without the KLA, Kosovo would not have won its freedom and independence,” Hamza added.
