Enver Hoxhaj, a Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP and longtime close associate of the former KLA leaders being held in The Hague, has said that the “special war” against Kosovo must end on September 16 with the full acquittal of the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army and their return home.
Speaking at the national conference “The Struggle for the KLA,” organized by the civic platform “Freedom Has a Name,” Hoxhaj said Kosovo’s armed struggle ended on June 12, 1999, while its diplomatic struggle culminated in the declaration of independence in 2008.
“The special war against Kosovo must end on September 16. We expect no alternative other than the release of all KLA leaders and their return to Kosovo,” Hoxhaj declared.
He stressed that the people of Kosovo had fought for almost a century for freedom and independence, describing the KLA as the country’s only liberation army whose war was recognized by NATO.
“The KLA’s war is the only liberation war certified by NATO. Kosovo’s independence was also the result of earned sovereignty, based on the conditions and criteria we fulfilled as a people before and after declaring independence,” he said.
Hoxhaj criticized the claims of the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office in The Hague, arguing that the theory of a joint criminal enterprise is being used in an attempt to criminalize both the idea of Kosovo’s liberation and its independence.
“Beyond our political differences, the liberation and independence of the country have been a national project. Therefore, the only acceptable justice is the full acquittal of all KLA leaders and their return to Kosovo,” Hoxhaj concluded.
The conference was held ahead of the verdict in the case of Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
