Third Night of Pristina Protests Over Thaci Verdict

Pristina was the scene of protests for a third straight day on September 18, as demonstrators kept up pressure against the first instance verdict handed down to former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders. Two separate rallies took place on Skanderbeg Square, an afternoon gathering organized by the KLA War Veterans Organization and an evening protest that began around 9 p.m. Organizers have now called on the Albanian diaspora to join in, announcing rallies for Saturday, September 19, in Zurich, Cologne and Vancouver.

The afternoon rally drew several thousand people, according to Kosovo Police, and ended peacefully at 12:40 p.m. without incident. “Thousands of demonstrators, after gathering and several speeches in which they expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict of the Specialist Chambers in the Hague, ended the protest peacefully at 12:40 p.m., after which participants dispersed,” police said, adding that ahead of the rally they had urged participants not to wear masks and not to throw hard objects. Four demands were read from the stage: repealing or amending the law on the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, the dismissal of Minister Donika Gervalla, “unrestricted support and sufficient funds” for the defense of the former KLA leaders, and the engagement of top international legal experts.

Accounts differ on which post Gervalla actually holds. KoSSev, reporting on the afternoon rally, identified her as foreign minister, while Ekspres, citing Agence France-Presse, described her as justice minister. Hysni Gucati, head of the KLA War Veterans Organization, addressing the crowd, claimed that Gervalla had forwarded documents to the Hague.

“Today we are surprised that the institutions still haven’t said a word. Instead of Gervalla speaking out about the injustice done to the liberators, she is still silent today. We know that Donika Gervalla handed over documents in the Hague. We tell Albin Kurti to remove these people from the government. People who cooperate with the enemy are enemies of the country and the nation, and we do not want them among us,” Gucati said.

The evening rally, again attended by relatives of the convicted men, including Endrit Thaci and Klestor Veseli, brought out several thousand more people under the slogan “Not in My Name.” One of the organizers, Clirim Haziri, said the gathering was about more than defending the four convicted leaders.

“We are not only gathered to defend our liberators, but to defend our truth, our rich history and the dignity of a people who rose from the ashes to seek freedom. We are here today to say with one voice: Not in my name,” Haziri said.

Speaking from the same stage, actor Basri Lushtaku repeated the same two demands as the afternoon rally, changing the law and giving full backing to the defense. “Kosovo paid the highest price for its freedom. Our freedom was won with the blood of fallen fighters, the sacrifice of women and men, and the resistance of every one of us,” Lushtaku said, adding that the crowd “will not give up until the demands are met.” Also present was Bedri Hamza, president of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, who, like other speakers, called the verdict unjust. Altin Krasniqi, son of convicted leader Jakup Krasniqi, also spoke, calling for unity regardless of party affiliation.

“What happened in the Hague cannot be seen only as a matter concerning four individuals. For six years we sought justice because we believed justice would prevail through facts, evidence and a fair process,” Krasniqi said, adding: “We will keep seeking justice, but justice must be equal for all, evidence must be weighed impartially, testimony must be fairly assessed, and no one should be convicted on the basis of fabricated and manipulated evidence.”

At the close of the evening rally, organizers announced the protests would continue, under the message “Every day, until the end.” According to organizers, the mobilization is now spreading to the Albanian diaspora as well. In Zurich, a rally under the slogan “Not in My Name” is planned for Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. at Helvetiaplatz, with participants asked to bring Albanian flags and KLA symbols and to wear red and black; organizers say the gathering is being put together by a group of young Albanians in Switzerland with permission from Zurich police. In Cologne, a rally opposing the Specialist Court’s ruling is planned for 8 p.m. near the main train station. In Vancouver, a “peaceful rally” under the slogan “United for Justice” is planned for the same day, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. local time, in front of the city library.

The wave of protests began immediately after the verdict was announced on September 16, when demonstrators threw stones at the government building and the headquarters of the EULEX mission. According to later police reports, fireworks were also thrown, sparking a small fire that was quickly put out, and there were arrests. Srpske Novine previously reported on the KLA veterans’ demands and their calls for Gervalla’s dismissal in the article “Pristina: KLA veterans demand Gervalla’s dismissal and a change of the law.”

On September 16, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers convicted Hashim Thaci and Jakup Krasniqi at first instance to 25 years in prison each, Kadri Veseli to 18 years and Rexhep Selimi to 13 years, 81 years in total, for the war crimes of unlawful and arbitrary arrest and detention, cruel treatment, torture and murder. All four were acquitted of crimes against humanity, as the court found no evidence of a widespread or systematic attack on civilians. The verdict is not final, and protest organizers say the rallies will continue until the law under which the men were tried is changed.