Çlirim Haziri, the organizer of the 21-day protests in support of former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders standing trial in The Hague, described the passage of the Law on the Protection of KLA Values as a victory for the citizens who gathered for three weeks in Pristina’s squares.
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Addressing the protesters after the vote in the Assembly, he stressed that the law’s approval did not mark the end of the protest or civic engagement, but constituted one stage in the cause supported over the past three weeks.
“Tonight’s victory is a major one, but this is only the beginning of our unstoppable civic engagement in defense of the Republic,” Haziri said.
According to him, the law was passed thanks to the constant pressure from citizens and not through the will of politicians in the Assembly. “This law was not given to us. This law did not pass because of the desire of those inside. This law was won out here. It was won by you,” the organizer declared.
Haziri criticized the political handling of the issue in the days before the vote, saying that citizens had witnessed “wavering” and “calculations.” He added that a 21-day protest should not have been necessary for institutions to make a decision that he considers an obligation to the KLA’s legacy.
He called on protesters not to view the vote as the end of their achievements. “Tonight’s vote is not a miracle of any kind. It is simply a delayed debt, a minimal obligation that this state owed to those who gave their lives,” Haziri said.
During the most emotional part of his speech, he mentioned Adem and Hamëz Jashari, Zahir Pajaziti and Fehmi Lladrovci. According to Haziri, the law’s approval does not bring to an end the responsibility that protesters are demanding from institutions in connection with the KLA war.
Haziri also linked the continuation of the engagement to the trials of former KLA leaders in The Hague. “Our minds and hearts remain there, in The Hague,” he said.
Haziri warned that the organizers would continue working to secure funds and ensure the law’s full implementation by Kosovo’s institutions. “We will remain here until the innocence of our leaders is fully proven,” he said, adding that protesters would continue gathering in Pristina’s squares.
In closing, Haziri thanked the citizens who took part in the 21-day protests and ended his speech with the call: “Long live the Kosovo Liberation Army!”
