The chairman of the Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans’ Organization (OVL-KLA), Hysni Gucati, said at a press conference that there were no Albanian mercenaries.
He made these comments after being asked about the language used by Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and Taulant Balla, who are alleged to have said that former KLA fighters were mercenaries.
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“I have not heard Edi Rama say ‘mercenary.’ I have seen a list, to be honest, on various portals that was made public by Taulant Balla, if I am not mistaken, and now also by Edi Rama. There were no Albanian mercenaries. A mix-up has been made: Tahir Sinanaj is from Kukës, Tahir Sinani is from Tropoja — let’s make the distinction. They are two Tahirs. Because if you mean Tahir Sinani, Tahir Sinani did not take money, nor was he paid, he is a martyr of the nation. He is a fighter of three wars. I have spoken with his brother, Skënder, we clarified it, and there is also a document that exists. Tahir Sinanaj is from Kukës. Tahir Sinani, just to make the distinction in the surname, that is where the confusion happened. And Taulant Balla — it’s not that I want to defend him, but he has been left holding the bag, that is something else. Tahir Sinani was not a martyr paid with money, he is a martyr of the nation, he is a martyr of three wars. Respect, a bow, for his work and deeds and for his family, so let us make this clarification,” he said.
Regarding the use of the KLA flag at protests held in Albania, Gucati said he had submitted a request that it not be used.
“I made a request that it not be used, and I have it in writing as well, and I can give you these documents whenever you want, showing that I made the request. Please do not use the KLA flag and emblem in political campaigns because the KLA does not belong to one party, the KLA belongs to the entire Albanian nation,” he said.
He further stressed that if a law on the values of the war existed, he would have filed lawsuits over their use by political parties.
“If there were a law on the values of the war, because in point eight we have the law, we have the emblem and the flag in the law, for which we submitted a request to the Government, and Albin and the members of the government know it. The law has come out eight times, eight times they have rejected us. Because of point nine, to remove it, we did not agree to remove it. But if there were a law on the values of the war, I would have sued the political parties in court because they do not have the right to use them,” he said.
Asked why he did not take part in the protest for former fighter Bekim Metaj, unlike his presence in Skenderaj for Sami Lushtaku, Gucati said that at the time he was not in Kosovo.
“I was in Albania, I was there. Because I am under medical supervision, I have an infection and it is still not known where it is coming from. I also called Besim Isufi on the phone, you can ask him, more than six times from the territory of Albania, I was at a visit that Saturday. I was visiting Bekim. I know Bekim personally, not just now, I have known him from earlier. I am sorry about how the case happened, as a case I feel very sorry. But the state should deal with this case very seriously, clarify to the end what happened and why it came to that moment for Bekim and the other citizens,” he said.
