The Parliament of Albania today approved the declaration on the innocence of the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
The declaration contains six key points, expressing concern that the request of the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office risks creating a dangerous distortion of history.
The Parliament of the Republic of Albania declares:
- Full and unconditional support for the leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, who were and remain representatives of the legitimate aspirations of the people of Kosovo for freedom and self-determination. Their war was just and grounded in the universal principles of human rights.
- A call addressed to the Specialist Chambers in The Hague, the international community, and international justice institutions to declare the innocence of Hashim Thaçi, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli, and Rexhep Selimi through a fair and impartial process that respects and does not undermine the dignity of Kosovo’s liberation struggle, and to ensure that judicial instruments are not transformed into tools for rewriting history or equating the victim with the aggressor.
- A reminder to the international community that the KLA’s war was fought at a time when the Milošević regime was carrying out ethnic cleansing, systematic crimes against humanity, and genocidal acts against Kosovo’s civilian population, and that NATO’s intervention in 1999 confirmed the legitimacy of that war and the criminal nature of the Milošević regime.
- High appreciation for international defense witnesses, such as Wesley Clark and James Rubin, who confirmed the right of the people of Kosovo and their leaders to freedom.
- Full solidarity with the people of Kosovo and the families of the KLA leaders, reiterating that the Albanian nation stands united in defending historical truth and the dignity of the struggle for freedom.
- A commitment to undertake all necessary diplomatic and political steps in international forums to ensure that the historical truth of Kosovo’s liberation war is not undermined and that justice is carried out fairly.
The Parliament of the Republic of Albania calls on the institutions of the Albanian state, the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, and the Albanian diaspora to remain united in defending truth, dignity, and justice for the people of Kosovo and for the leaders of their liberation war: Hashim Thaçi, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli, and Rexhep Selimi.
The Parliament further recommends that the governments of the Republic of Albania and the Republic of Kosovo cooperate and coordinate in the international denunciation of Serbian crimes.
This declaration reflects the unanimous will of the Parliament of the Republic of Albania and will be transmitted to the Specialist Chambers in The Hague, the UN Security Council, the European Parliament, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Council of Europe, and all friendly and partner governments.
