Tensions briefly escalated in Skënderbeu Square in Pristina during a mass public protest against the Special Court’s verdicts against former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders. Amid the crowds, Hysni Gucati, a representative of the KLA War Veterans Organization, intervened to calm the situation and prevent the confrontation from escalating further.
The protest, organized by the civic platform “Liria Ka Emër” under the slogan “NOT IN MY NAME,” brought together thousands of citizens from Kosovo and Albanian communities across the region. The demonstration was held in response to the verdicts announced on September 16, under which Hashim Thaçi and Jakup Krasniqi were each sentenced to 25 years in prison, Kadri Veseli to 18 years, and Rexhep Selimi to 13 years a combined 81 years.
Organizers, including Ismail Tasholli, described the demonstration as a nationwide expression of opposition to what they consider an injustice against Kosovo’s liberation war. The protest carried a broader message of solidarity with the former KLA leaders and a rejection of the verdicts in the name of those who believe the war for Kosovo’s freedom should not be equated with the crimes attributed to individuals.
