Thousands of Kosovo war veterans and their supporters gathered in Tirana, Albania, on Friday to protest against the European Union-backed Kosovo Specialist Chambers, which is prosecuting former fighters of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The demonstrators, who filled Skanderbeg Square, accused the tribunal of bias and injustice, claiming it unfairly targets those who fought for Kosovo’s independence from Serbia during the 1998-1999 war. The rally, organized by the veterans’ association OVL-UCK and supported by the Albanian government, featured national Albanian and KLA flags, with some participants donning KLA uniforms and singing songs about freedom. The protest’s motto, ‘Freedom has a name. Justice for the liberators,’ underscored their demands for fairness. High-profile defendants, including former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and other ex-leaders, are currently on trial at The Hague for charges such as murder, torture, and persecution of civilians. The court was established following a 2011 Council of Europe report alleging KLA involvement in human organ trafficking and killings, though these allegations were not included in the indictments. The rally remained peaceful, with former Albanian President Alfred Moisiu calling for justice and criticizing the court’s processes as biased. The event highlighted ongoing tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, with Kosovo’s 2008 independence still unrecognized by Serbia and its allies.
Thousands rally in Albanian capital against EU-backed court prosecuting Kosovo war veterans
