The Organization of War Veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army (OVL-UÇK) has called for protests across Kosovo on Friday, September 25, in support of four former KLA leaders following their first-instance convictions by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
According to the organization’s announcement, protests are scheduled to take place at 5:00 p.m. in most municipalities where OVL-UÇK has branches and local structures. The protest in Prishtina is scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m.
OVL-UÇK has called on municipal institutions and citizens to participate, saying the demonstrations are intended to express support for the former KLA leaders and what the organization describes as the values of Kosovo’s liberation war.
The organization said it would support protests as long as they remain peaceful and do not undermine Kosovo’s constitutional order.
“OVL-UÇK supports and will support every protest in support of the former KLA leaders and our liberation war, provided that they are conducted peacefully and do not violate the constitutional order,” the organization said in its statement.
OVL-UÇK has also called on Kosovo’s political and state institutions, as well as other national actors, to act jointly and begin drafting what it described as a national strategy to support the former KLA leaders throughout the appeals process.
The protests follow the September 16 first-instance judgment by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, which found Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi guilty of war crimes including unlawful or arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, torture and murder. Thaçi and Krasniqi were each sentenced to 25 years in prison, Veseli to 18 years and Selimi to 13 years. The judgment is not final and can be appealed.
The Trial Panel acquitted all four defendants on six counts of crimes against humanity.
The appeals process is now expected to determine whether the first-instance findings and sentences will be upheld, changed or otherwise reviewed.
