Kosovo Is Waiting”: March for Freedom in Pristina on September 12, Four Days Before the Verdict in The Hague

The civic platform “Freedom Has a Name” will organize a March for Freedom in Pristina on September 12, under the motto “KOSOVO IS WAITING.”

The march will be held four days before the verdict is announced by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague for the founders and leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

At a press conference, platform representatives Eliza Hoxha and Ismail Tasholli presented the activities that will take place before and after the march.

Eliza Hoxha said that for 6 years, “Freedom Has a Name,” together with citizens, has called for a fair trial. According to her, during this period the indictments brought by the prosecution have proven unsustainable and have been dismissed one after another. She said September 16 should mark the end of this dark saga, while the platform will continue to stand by the defendants, without prejudging the decision of justice or interfering in the judicial process, but conveying the citizens’ call for justice, dignity, remembrance and respect for Kosovo’s history.

Hoxha announced that two activities would begin tomorrow: the countdown to September 16 and the “Nights of Freedom.” The countdown will begin at 10:00 a.m. in Pristina and continue until September 16 at 10:00 a.m., when the final session concluding the proceedings in The Hague is expected to be held. This activity will take place in all municipalities of Kosovo.

According to her, every passing hour will serve as a reminder that Kosovo is waiting for justice, dignity and the return of the freedom fighters home. Meanwhile, the “Nights of Freedom” will be organized in the seven zones of the Kosovo Liberation Army and will be dedicated to remembrance, storytelling and bringing generations together around the difficult path and sacrifices made for freedom.

Ismail Tasholli called on all representatives of the political spectrum of the Republic of Kosovo to join the March for Freedom. He invited the Albanian political parties and the leaders of the 4 largest parties in the country, Mr. Kurti, Mr. Hamza, Mr. Abdixhiku and Mr. Gjini, to participate and deliver their public addresses during the march.

Tasholli stressed that the invitation is addressed to everyone without exception—not for an electoral campaign or to display party flags, but in the name of Kosovo, freedom and the future.

The “Freedom Has a Name” platform will also organize an event in The Hague together with the Albanian diaspora on September 16. Tasholli said that on the day when attention will be focused on The Hague, the message from Kosovo to there will be the same: “KOSOVO IS WAITING.” He added that the countdown will begin tomorrow in Pristina’s main square, while after September 16 Kosovo will no longer be the same.