The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has strongly criticized the positions taken by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office in The Hague, claiming that the court has deviated from its fundamental mission of delivering justice.
In an official media statement, PDK emphasized that from the very first day of the final phase of the trial, it became clear that the process is not being conducted as a standard judicial proceeding, but rather as what the party described as an attempt to distort historical truth.
PDK stated that the trial appears to be an open effort to construct a false narrative, in which the liberation struggle of the people of Kosovo is portrayed as a criminal project.
The party also recalled that crimes committed by the regime of Slobodan Milošević and the Serbian state apparatus have been extensively documented by international justice mechanisms and historical evidence. According to PDK, it is an established fact that Serbia was the aggressor, while the people of Kosovo were the victims.
PDK further stressed that the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was a grassroots organization, formed as a necessary response to systematic violence and oppression by the Serbian regime.
Referring to the ongoing trial against former KLA leaders, PDK argued that Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi are being treated as symbols of resistance and state-building, rather than being evaluated as individuals within their historical context. The party warned that the prosecution’s approach aims to equate the victim with the aggressor and criminalize the fight for freedom.
PDK also described the request for lengthy prison sentences as absurd and politically motivated, calling it an example of selective punishment rather than impartial justice.
Additionally, the party rejected attempts to link Kosovo’s declaration of independence with alleged criminal claims, emphasizing that independence is an internationally recognized political act supported by Kosovo’s strategic allies.
In conclusion, PDK reaffirmed its belief in the innocence of the former KLA leaders and the legitimacy of Kosovo’s liberation war, stating that any attempt to criminalize this struggle represents an effort to rewrite history and undermine the foundations of Kosovo’s statehood. The party ended its statement by declaring that freedom is not a crime and history cannot be rewritten.
