For the ninth consecutive night, citizens gathered in Skënderbeu Square in Prishtina for the “Not in My Name” protest, opposing the convictions handed down by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague against former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders.
The protesters expressed support for the KLA, while the main demand of Thursday evening’s demonstration was directed at the Presidency of the Kosovo Assembly. They called for the Presidency to include in the agenda of its next meeting a draft law amending and supplementing the legislation governing the Specialist Chambers.
The demand comes a day before the Assembly Presidency is scheduled to meet at 11:00 a.m. on Friday. Protesters called for the draft legislation to be treated as a matter of priority.
The “Not in My Name” protests have been held every evening in Prishtina since September 16, following the Specialist Chambers’ verdicts against former KLA leaders.
Addressing the protesters, organizer Çlirim Haziri opened his speech by calling for a minute of silence in honor of Kosovo Police Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku, who was killed on September 24, 2023, during the armed attack in Banjska.
“Today is September 24. Three years ago, in Banjska, while defending the Republic of Kosovo, Kosovo Police Sergeant and hero Afrim Bunjaku was killed in the line of duty,” Haziri said, calling on those gathered to honor his sacrifice.
Haziri also referred to the sixth anniversary of the arrest and transfer to The Hague of former KLA member Salih Mustafa, linking the date to the ongoing developments surrounding the Specialist Chambers.
He then addressed the convictions of Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi, saying protesters consider the verdict deeply unjust.
“Nine days have passed since the verdict against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi. They were not broken by prison, distance from Kosovo or the verdict. But tonight the question is: What are we doing? What are our institutions doing? What is our Assembly doing?” Haziri said.
Protesters demand draft law be placed on Assembly agenda
Haziri said the protesters’ attention was focused not only on developments in The Hague, but also on how Kosovo’s institutions are responding to their demands.
Referring to Friday’s meeting of the Assembly Presidency, he criticized the fact that the protesters’ request is not currently included on the announced agenda.
“Tomorrow at 11 a.m., the Presidency of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo will meet. We have the agenda before us. Sixteen items: committees, reports, trips and expenses. But the request for which citizens have been standing in this square is not there,” Haziri said.
He called on members of the Assembly Presidency to take a position on the protesters’ demand.
“If it is urgent, act. If it is not, come out and tell the citizens why it is not,” he said.
Haziri argued that institutional support for the KLA should go beyond public statements and be reflected in concrete decisions.
“It is no longer enough to tell us that you understand us. It is not enough to say that you stand with the KLA. Institutions are not measured only by statements. Institutions are measured by decisions,” he said.
He also said protesters would continue pursuing their demands through democratic and legal means.
“We are not threatening anyone. But we are telling you as citizens: do not measure our determination by the number of days we have stood here. If the silence continues, our civic response will also grow. We are not asking for favors. We are asking for answers,” Haziri said.
He added that protesters would continue addressing their demands to the relevant institutions, including the Assembly and the government.
“If institutions do not respond to citizens’ demands, we will pursue those demands through every democratic and legal means available — in the Assembly, in the government and in every institution that has responsibility,” Haziri said.
The protesters said they would continue seeking formal responses from Kosovo’s institutions regarding their demands.
