Organizations formed out of the Kosovo Liberation Army’s war have protested in Drenas against the Special Court’s verdict against former KLA leaders Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi.

The protesters called for justice and the protection of the truth about Kosovo’s war, repeating the message “Not in my name!” Representatives of the organizations criticized the way the KLA’s war is being handled, in their view.

Enver Hajdari, chairman of the organizations formed out of the war in the Drenas branch, said they disagreed with the sentences handed down against the four former KLA leaders.

Hajdari said The Hague’s decision did not mark the end of history, while expressing concern about the way Kosovo’s war was being treated on the basis of evidence he described as unfounded and ineffective.

“We are here because we disagree with the sentence handed down by The Hague against the four main figures of our war and history, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi. But today we say clearly: this is not the final word of history. We are deeply concerned about the way our war is being treated, on the basis of alleged evidence that is unfounded and has no effect,” Hajdari said.

The mayor of the Municipality of Drenas, Ramiz Lladrovci, also took part in the protest. He stressed that support for the former KLA leaders should be expressed calmly, with dignity and democratically.

Lladrovci said that the people of Drenas know Serbia’s genocide better than anyone else, also mentioning the sacrifice of the four former KLA leaders, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi.

“At the invitation of the organizations formed out of the Kosovo Liberation Army’s war, we are here at this protest against the shameful verdict in The Hague. We are here together to support our heroes of war and peace, who sacrificed themselves for Kosovo’s freedom, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi. Our support is expressed with dignity, calmly and democratically. The citizens of Drenas understand Serbia’s centuries-old genocide better than anyone else,” Lladrovci said.

The mayor also mentioned the massacres and mass graves in several areas of Drenas, which, he said, testify to the municipality’s direct experience during the war.

Among the speakers was Altin Krasniqi, the son of Jakup Krasniqi. He urged citizens not to remain silent about what he called the KLA’s just war and called on Albanian parties to unite around this issue, which he considered greater than political differences.

Krasniqi said that defending the KLA’s war also means defending the future of the state, the memory of generations and the right to tell history as it happened.

“Those who once defended us now need us not to remain silent, by defending the KLA’s just war. We are not defending only the past, but also the future of our state, the memory of generations and our right to tell history as it is. The KLA fought a just war. The KLA fought for our dignity. Today, we must set aside all political differences. All Albanian parties must unite around an issue that is greater than any party and greater than any individual,” he said.

Representatives of the Deliu and Muçolli families, families that lost members in the wartime massacres, also spoke at the protest.

Imer Deliu rejected the Special Court’s verdict, saying that it affects not only the former KLA leaders but also the very way the history of the war in Kosovo is being handled.

“This is a decision that we all oppose and about which we say: ‘Not in my name!’ The Special Court’s decision does not punish only the members of the General Staff and the leaders of the KLA, but punishes our history. It sullies the blood shed for the freedom of children, mothers, sisters and all generations, one after another. Therefore, we say to it: ‘Not in my name!’” Deliu said.

Skender Muçolli also called for unity beyond political and personal divisions. According to him, justice for the victims, preserving the truth of the war and passing it on to future generations require joint action.

“There are moments when, regardless of the differences we may have among us, we must be united by issues that transcend the individual boundaries of each person. Justice for the victims of the war, efforts to establish the truth about the war and preserving that truth for the generations that come after us are issues that require us to transcend individual boundaries and unite all forces and energies in a single direction: defending the national interest,” Muçolli added.

The protest held in Drenas is part of rallies organized by the Organizations Formed Out of the KLA War in several cities across Kosovo against the Special Court’s verdict against former KLA leaders.

The post Drenas: War organizations and the Deliu and Muçolli families demand justice for the liberators appeared first on Albeu.com.