Over 20,000 sign petition to free Kosovo Liberation Army leaders
A national petition in support of the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), who are currently on trial in The Hague, has so far gathered over 20,000 online signatures, while the number of physical signatures remains unknown. The petition is organized by the KLA Veterans Organization (OVL-UÇK), which aims to collect around one million signatures to be submitted to the Special Court.
The petition has been open for 10 days and can be signed by Albanians anywhere in the world.
Gazmend Syla, Vice President of OVL-UÇK, told KosovaPress that the national petition aims to put the public’s opposition to injustices at the Special Court in writing.
According to him, public interest in signing the petition is high, but due to financial constraints, they have not been able to organize it in public squares.
“We have opened this petition both online and physically. It is available through all our branches or offices in various municipalities. We have sent them physically as well. Online, if I am not mistaken, over 20,000 signatures have been collected approximately. Physically, we do not have an exact number yet because it is still in process and we have not received any information on the total. But there is extremely high interest from citizens to sign the petition,” he said.
Syla emphasized that their goal is to collect around one million signatures, which will be submitted to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers as soon as possible.
“Our aim is to reach roughly one million signatures and deliver them to the Special Court as soon as possible… From the day we launched the petition, we planned for it to last no more than one month, because we are only in the final phase, and it needs to be submitted in writing to the Special Court as quickly as possible,” he stated.
The Vice President of the Veterans Organization, stated that through the petition, citizens are expressing their opposition to what he called a deviation of the court from its initial mission.
“We think this is very appropriate because as citizens of this country, who gave the opportunity for this Special Court to be established through our deputies who raised their hands at that time, today we are saying no to this injustice, because as you know, the court has deviated from its mission. Therefore, the message of our citizens through the petition will be that they cannot decide in our name, because you have misled us. You said that this court would be established for something else, but it went in a different direction. Therefore, it is very important. In some way, we never want to interfere with justice, but it is our legitimate right, guaranteed by the constitution, to say that what you are doing there is unfair,” Syla expressed.
However, alongside the petition, Syla emphasized that other opposing activities will not stop until the return of their fellow fighters.
“Our activity against this injustice will not stop until the day our fellow fighters return home. Therefore, after the petition, we will continue with advocacy. We will, I believe, already have almost confirmed meetings with some international personalities, and I believe we will publish them soon. Therefore, no, our activity will never stop, even with further protests. But until our fellow fighters come home, we will not stop. We have an obligation to stay close to them and provide support, because our fight was just, and we believe in their innocence,” he said.
On February 9 of this year, closing statements were given at the Specialist Chambers in the Thaci and others case.
The four leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army again pleaded not guilty to the charges brought by the Office of the Specialist Prosecutor.
Defense teams for Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi also requested that all of them be found not guilty on all counts of the indictment.
They stated before the court that there is no evidence to support the allegations made by the Specialist Prosecutor regarding war crimes.
Special Prosecutor Kimberly West requested 45-year prison sentences for each of the former KLA leaders.
Thaci, Veseli, Krasniqi, and Selimi face charges brought by the Office of the Specialist Prosecutor, which they have deemed unfounded. The defense has also rejected these charges and argued that the KLA did not have an organized command structure.
The trial against them began on April 3, 2023—nearly three years after the indictment was confirmed and the former KLA leaders were held at the detention center in The Hague.