Kurti meets Congressman Lawler: Specialist Chambers ruling is unjust

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti held a meeting in New York with U.S. Congressman Mike Lawler, during which they discussed developments in Kosovo and, in particular, the Specialist Chambers’ ruling against former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

The meeting took place during Kurti’s stay in the United States, where he is attending the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

Mike Lawler is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and chairs its Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.

Kurti described the Specialist Chambers’ ruling as “unjust” and stressed that a distinction must be made between what was alleged during the trial and the facts the court deemed proven and on which it based its decision.

He devoted a particular part of the discussion to the issue of the “Yellow House” and allegations of organ trafficking.

“The allegation concerning the ‘Yellow House’ and organ trafficking, on which the overwhelming majority of the narrative preceding the establishment of the Specialist Chambers was built, was not part of the indictment at all,” Kurti said.

Allegations that KLA members had trafficked the organs of prisoners at the so-called “Yellow House” in Albania received widespread attention following a report by Dick Marty, published in 2010. The report led to the launch of a special investigation and subsequently to the establishment of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

However, the allegations of organ trafficking were not included in the indictment against Hashim Thaçi and his co-defendants.

The prime minister also stressed that the four former KLA leaders were acquitted of charges related to crimes against humanity.

On September 16, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi were found guilty of several war crimes and sentenced to prison terms. Thaçi and Krasniqi were each sentenced to 25 years, Veseli to 18 years, and Selimi to 13 years in prison.

In the same ruling, the trial panel acquitted them of all six charges of crimes against humanity.

According to Kurti, the lack of transparency at the Specialist Chambers “from the start of its work until today” remains a concern. He also criticized the sentences handed down, stating that the ruling “suffers from historical and factual inaccuracies.”

“The war of the Kosovo Liberation Army was and remains just, and it cannot be tarnished in any way,” Kurti wrote.

The four former KLA leaders have declared that they are not guilty and have announced that they will challenge the first-instance decision on appeal.

Kurti traveled to the United States on September 18. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, during his stay in New York he is holding bilateral meetings with world leaders aimed at promoting Kosovo’s interests.

His program also includes meetings with the Albanian community in the United States, diaspora organizations and potential investors.

In his conversation with Lawler, they also discussed opportunities to increase American investment in Kosovo, particularly in the technology, manufacturing and energy sectors.

Shaip Kamberi, an Albanian member of the Serbian Parliament, also joined the meeting. According to Kurti, the discussions included the situation of Albanians in Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa.

Kurti said that he also spoke with the U.S. congressman about the deregistration of Albanians’ addresses in Serbia. He claimed that this practice affects thousands of Albanians and impacts their exercise of the right to vote, as well as their ability to obtain identification documents.