For the third night in a row, many citizens have gathered in “Skënderbeu” square in the center of Pristina to oppose the verdict of the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo against the four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
The protests started immediately after the verdict was announced in The Hague, where the jury found Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniq and Rexhep Selim guilty of war crimes.
Thaçi and Krasniqi were each sentenced to 25 years in prison, Veseli to 18 years, while Selimi to 13 years – a total of 81 years in prison, while they were declared innocent of crimes against humanity.
During today’s day, the KLA War Veterans Organization (OVL-KLA) organized a protest in the same square, which started around 12:00.
According to the Kosovo Police, thousands of citizens participated in the rally. The protest ended around 12:40 pm peacefully and without incident, after several speeches were given. The police thanked the citizens for their cooperation and emphasized that public safety remains a priority.
The protest was attended by war veterans, citizens, deputies (mainly from PDK), as well as family members of former leaders, including the sons of Hashim Thaçi and Kadri Veseli (Endrit Thaçi and Klestor Veseli). Protesters chanted slogans such as “KLA, KLA”, “Not in my name”, “Freedom, freedom” and “O Hashim, where are you, the whole of Kosovo is here”.
