Thousands rally in Kosovo to support former liberation commanders on trial in The Hague
People gather in city center to stage demonstration organized by KLA War Veterans Association, expressing solidarity with ex-President Hashim Thaci, former commanders, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli, and Rexhep Selimi
PRISTINA, Kosovo
A rally was held in Pristina, Kosovo’s capital, on Thursday in support of former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commanders, including former President Hashim Thaci, who are being held on trial in The Hague.
Thousands of people gathered in the city center to stage the demonstration organized by the KLA War Veterans Association, expressing solidarity with Thaci and other former commanders, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli, and Rexhep Selimi.
Protesters carried banners reading "Justice," "The KLA did not bow to Serbia; it will not bow to The Hague," and "Thaci, Veseli, Krasniqi, Selimi are heroes," calling for their release.
Speakers at the rally criticized the court for what they described as one-sided actions aimed at tarnishing Kosovo’s war for liberation and rewriting history in favor of Serbia.
The demonstration lasted for about two hours and culminated peacefully.
Kosovo specialist chambers, specialist prosecutor’s office
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers and its associated Specialist Prosecutor’s Office were established in 2011 in The Hague under Kosovar law. Made up of international judges and prosecutors, the court investigates and prosecutes war crimes allegedly committed in Kosovo between 1998 and 2000.
Since early 2019, the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office has summoned dozens of former KLA members to give testimony.
The first indictment of Thaci and the other commanders was confirmed on October 26, 2020. They are accused of crimes such as murder, torture, and forced displacement, which allegedly killed at least 100 people. The trial began on April 3, 2023.
The former KLA leaders have been held in detention in The Hague since 2020.
Kosovo War and independence
The 1998–1999 Kosovo War, which ended with NATO’s intervention against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people, mostly ethnic Albanians, and displaced over one million.
The KLA was formed in the 1990s with the aim of resisting Yugoslav forces and achieving Kosovo’s independence.
After the war, the KLA was disbanded, and many of its members joined newly established national security institutions.
Kosovo declared unilateral independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008, a move still not recognized by Belgrade.
