Analyst and professor Nexhmedin Spahiu discussed the latest developments concerning the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, the defendants in The Hague and the debate over political unity on the issue in the Kosovo Assembly on the program “Info Nata.”
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He criticized the way lawmakers and Albanian society have united around the issue, saying that, in his view, this unity has produced no concrete results for the defendants in The Hague.
“Albanians come together only over things of no value, while they remain divided over matters that require good judgment. They have achieved nothing with this, nor have they helped those in The Hague. What they are doing now is simply an attempt to interfere with justice, nothing more. This serves neither Kosovo nor the defendants there,” Spahiu said.
He also commented on how the Specialist Chambers operates and on its decisions, stressing that individual responsibility must be determined through judicial proceedings.
“A special court has brought charges of crimes against humanity and, because it is the only Kosovo institution that has cooperated with Serbia, Serbia handed over to it everything it had on the KLA,” Spahiu said.
According to him, the court’s decisions should be respected until the judicial proceedings conclude.
“This court has rejected those allegations, finding that these were not crimes against humanity and that Kosovo’s task was not to pursue Serbs for such crimes, but to liberate the country, actions it did not consider punishable in themselves,” he said.
Spahiu stressed that responsibility for the killings and alleged crimes must be determined by the justice system.
“Now, if Albanians killed one another, if they committed murders, who is responsible and who is not is a matter for the Court of Appeal, and perhaps at a later stage they may be released or their sentences may be reduced,” he said.
He also spoke about divisions in Kosovo society over the guilt or innocence of the defendants.
“Albanian society is divided into three groups: those who are fully convinced of the defendants’ guilt, those who do not know whether they are guilty or innocent, and those who firmly believe in their innocence,” Spahiu said.
According to him, some of those who believe the defendants are innocent are exceptionally vocal in their defense.
“Those who are convinced of their innocence are also very vocal and aggressive. Deep down, they are even willing to sacrifice the authority of the KLA and Kosovo, precisely because they are so convinced of their innocence,” he said.
Spahiu also criticized claims that the KLA is being defended through reactions to the Specialist Chambers.
“It is strange that they come out and say, ‘We are defending the KLA.’ The KLA does not need defending, because the court itself has defended it,” he said.
“If you want to support all these people, come out with the slogan ‘They are innocent,’ but instead time is wasted saying, ‘No, Kosovo’s authority is being undermined.’ Kosovo’s authority was strengthened, and so was the authority of the KLA,” Spahiu said.
He stressed that the KLA should not be portrayed as an organization that needs to be defended through political intervention.
“The KLA brought honor to this country, it brought honor to Kosovo; it did not disgrace it,” Spahiu said.
Spahiu went on to mention the cases in which the defendants had been found guilty by the court.
“They have been convicted of murdering their political rivals. Whether they are guilty or not, the court has decided that they are guilty. Perhaps the appeals court will say they are not guilty,” he said.
Spahiu added that the reality of the killings cannot be denied simply because of the political debate.
“The crimes happened. I cannot say that Ahmet Krasniqi was not killed,” he said.
Spahiu’s remarks drew a response from analyst Artan Nimani, who objected to the way the professor had presented the issue of the KLA and the impact of developments in The Hague.
“How can you say that, please? Because you cannot say that the KLA’s authority has grown because of what you are talking about,” Nimani responded.
He said Spahiu’s statement had also affected him personally, mentioning wounds he sustained during the war.
“You are affecting me too, because I have wounds from the KLA war; I have bullets in my body,” Nimani said.
The exchange between Spahiu and Nimani took place during a discussion of the Specialist Chambers, the defendants in The Hague, court rulings and how these issues are affecting political and social debate in Kosovo.
