Former Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Jakup Krasniqi, called for justice before the court in The Hague. He said he stands before the judges of the Specialist Chambers not as a criminal, but as a man forged in wars, while emphasizing that during these more than five years of the judicial process he has been denied the right to spend the final phase of his life with dignity, near his family and in freedom, KosovaPress reports.

“I stand before you not as a criminal described by the indictment of the prosecution, but as a man born and forged in wars for human dignity, in a people who refused to be erased by the policies and crimes of Serbian genocide,” he said.

The former Speaker, Jakup Krasniqi, stated that for over five years of imprisonment he has been denied the fundamental right to live the final phase of his life with dignity near his family and homeland in freedom.

“For more than five years, I believe my human rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms have been denied, among which the most important is the right to live in freedom, especially the right of a person in the final phase of their life to live the remaining years with dignity near their family and in a free homeland. This was done without causing injustice to anyone, without threatening anyone’s life; on the contrary, I risked my own life not only during the liberation war but since 1972-73,” he said.

Krasniqi stated that the charges from the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office against the KLA four-member group are built on the narratives of those who caused wars. According to him, this indictment does not serve justice.

He said that the image of him described by the prosecution does not stand before the court in The Hague.

“The prosecution’s charges against us are built on the narratives of those who caused several wars across the Yugoslav federation within a single decade. I do not believe this indictment serves any justice, especially not the justice that democratic societies claim to achieve. Justice cannot be built on the language of former oppressors; it must stand on credible evidence and on the truth. The injustice of this case is written in the indictment itself,” he said.

In the courtroom in The Hague, Krasniqi said this is the 16th year of his 75-year life that he has spent in prison, with the sole purpose of fighting for the freedom of Kosovo.

“With the belief that the darkness of injustice would be broken by the dawn of hope, this is why I committed myself to liberation and equality for all. I highlight the period after June 11, 1998, when I openly appeared in my full name and without a mask as the spokesperson of the KLA. The risks were extraordinary, but I was not concerned for my safety because my commitment to all citizens of Kosovo and their future guided me. Today, I am in my 16th year of imprisonment just because I fought for the freedom and independence of my country. I say the 16th year because over 10 years of imprisonment I spent from 1981 to 1991,” he said.

The former spokesperson of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Jakup Krasniqi, concluded his statement before the court by calling for justice and an objective examination of the evidence.

Krasniqi said that the people of Kosovo did not seek the destruction of a nation, but only freedom and justice for themselves. According to him, any other accusation is a continuation of lies produced by the Serbian criminal regime.

“Our people never planned destruction or torture. We sought life in freedom and independence. Nothing more. Nothing less. Today, our people live in freedom. If the love for freedom is judged as a crime, then history itself will be punished. I stand before you as I have stood throughout my life, conscious of the truth and unafraid of it… I ask you to examine each piece of evidence with patience and without prejudice, and you will not find a criminal enterprise but a human story shaped by hope and necessity, by belief in victory and democracy. If this conviction for our freedom is judged rightly here, then justice will not only serve me but will honor the principle that created this court… seeking justice that is clearly seen,” Krasniqi declared.

Before Krasniqi, the final statements in this judicial process were also made by former President Hashim Thaci, former Speaker Kadri Veseli, and former MP Rexhep Selimi.

Meanwhile, the defense teams of the former KLA leaders presented their rebuttals, requesting that their clients be declared not guilty due to the lack of evidence supporting the charges brought by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office.

On February 9 of this year, the closing statements began in this largest judicial process in The Hague, where the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office requested a 45-year prison sentence for each of the accused.

Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi face charges brought by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, which they have deemed unfounded. The defense also rejected these charges, arguing that the KLA did not have an organized command structure.

The trial against them began on April 3, 2023—almost three years after the indictment was confirmed. The former KLA leaders have been held at the detention center in The Hague since November 2020.