On the initiative of the diaspora and with the support of the Organization of War Veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army, a protest will be held in The Hague on September 14 from 14:00, in support of former KLA leaders who have been in detention since 2020, as reported by KosovaPress.

The chairman of the Organization of War Veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army (OVL-UÇK), Hysni Gucati, said at a press conference that the protest is being organized to express dissatisfaction with the Specialized Chambers in The Hague.

Gucati said that Dutch authorities have approved the protest, and the location is yet to be confirmed.

“On September 14 at 14:00, a protest will be held in The Hague. The diaspora and veterans who are abroad requested our support through three associations formed from the war: OVL, the Association of Families of Martyrs, and the Association of War Invalids, and we responded immediately when they called us. The reason for the protest is that on September 15, the first witness in our defense will appear from the United States, and we will show our support and express all our dissatisfaction with how that court is operating. Everything there may be called justice, but there is no justice in that court. As a war-born organization, we have decided to support our comrades from America and Europe and join this protest,” he said.

Gucati mentioned that over 200 citizens from Kosovo have shown interest in participating, but organizing transport for everyone is not possible.

“We cannot organize buses, but many citizens have voluntarily informed us and have already made reservations. We have over 200 people registered with names and surnames who will travel,” Gucati declared.

One of the organizers from the diaspora, Fatmir Koci, said the goal of the protest is to show the world that Kosovo’s war was just and that the Special Court is committing injustice against former KLA leaders.

“They are not judging individuals, but our just war for freedom and Kosovo’s statehood. Therefore, I call on all institutions, political parties regardless of political color, and every Albanian in the diaspora to join us on September 14 in front of the court in The Hague to show that Kosovo will no longer accept injustice in the name of justice. We won the war with the blood of martyrs and the support of our allies. There is significant interest from the diaspora, from America, Australia, and Europe, to be united on September 14 and show the world that our war was just and that this trial against the war leaders is unjust,” Koci emphasized.

A diaspora member living in Germany told reporters in Prishtina that interest in attending the protest is very high.

Koci added that buses have been organized for participants traveling to The Hague for the September 14 protest.

“For the diaspora, the organization will be very good; every city will have buses to allow maximum participation in the September 14 protest, as interest is very high,” he stated.

Xhavit Jashari, chairman of the Association of Families of Martyrs, emphasized that through this protest, they will show that injustice is occurring in The Hague in the name of justice.

“It is a political, one-sided court that does not pursue justice; the target and attack have been the glorious KLA war. Even though our institutions, the parliament, wanted to give space thinking that the court would assess and deliver justice fairly, the opposite happened… This protest will strongly signal the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and international politics to take action because injustice is occurring in the name of justice,” Jashari declared.

The defense of former KLA leaders will begin presenting evidence for the case from September 15.

Former KLA leaders have been in detention in The Hague since 2020.

A massive protest was held in Prishtina on August 7 against the injustice being done to former KLA leaders in The Hague.