In cities such as Prishtina, The Hague, Tirana, Strasbourg, and Skopje, the voices of Albanians were heard in support of former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

Just weeks before the verdict is expected in the case involving the "KLA four," more than 200,000 signatures collected in defence of the war’s values will also be submitted to the Special Court in The Hague.

This national petition, initiated two months ago, will be formally delivered to the court on Wednesday by the head of the KLA War Veterans’ Organization, Hysni Gucati.

He was previously convicted for obstruction of justice and was released from prison in 2023.

“The final form after the protests or our activity after the protests has been this petition. For this petition, around 70,000 signatures were collected online, and we believe that together with physical and online forms, it reaches over 200,000 signatures of those who have signed against the injustice taking place at the Special Court. We will address it on May 6, if I’m not mistaken, at around 10:00, which is the time we agreed for the handover of the petition to the Special Court, where Mr. Gucati will also be present personally, together with several compatriots, to formally submit this petition,” said Gazmend Syla, deputy head of the War Veterans’ Organization.

Syla added that the petition aimed to send a message to the Special Court that Albanians oppose what they consider a politically motivated trial.

“The idea was, in a way, to tell this court that if you are going to conduct a political trial there, Albanians wherever they live say no to a political trial, but one based on facts and evidence, if there are any. Otherwise, not in our name. You cannot judge the history of our war in our name, in the name of Albanians,” he said.

He further noted that in meetings with international figures, including ambassadors, they had been told that public perception is very important.

Although the petition has no legal effect, Syla stressed it is important to reflect Albanians’ stance on the Hague proceedings.

“We believe it will have an impact in that sense, because we understand that the petition has no legal effect. Therefore, this expression from the street now also in written form is one of the best activities we have carried out, because in a way we are formally addressing the Special Court, saying that you cannot attempt to change our history through political trials,” he concluded.

The Ombudsperson, Naim Qelaj, has presented a preliminary report by the “Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales” regarding the functioning of the Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

The report identifies serious concerns, including deviations from the court’s original mandate, lengthy pre-trial detention, lack of real opportunities for early release, and restrictions on family and professional communication with defence teams.

This report was prepared by an independent UK-based legal organisation, with British experts engaged at the request of the Ombudsperson Institution, following concerns over alleged failures to meet human rights standards.

The case against Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi has now been closed, and the matter is in the judges’ hands for a verdict. On 18 February, they delivered their closing statements, again pleading not guilty to all charges brought by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office.

Their defence teams have also requested full acquittal on all counts.

The exact date of the final verdict has not yet been announced.