Ali Ahmeti, former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and current leader of the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) in North Macedonia, joined today’s protest in Pristina against the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
Speaking to the crowd gathered in support of former KLA leaders facing trial, Ahmeti described the journey to Pristina as a shared march of Albanians from all regions, united in the call for justice.
“On the way here, I felt chills seeing young men and women lining the roads—just like in the years when Kosovo was under violent oppression and the people organized against a barbaric regime. Albanians came today from Struga, Kërçova, Gostivar, Tetova, Skopje, and Kumanovo to join this protest for justice. Our nation has historically stood as one when our identity and dignity were at risk. That’s why today, united as one body, we are here to demand freedom for the liberators who are being unjustly treated by the Special Court,” he said.
Ahmeti strongly defended the legitimacy and legality of the KLA’s armed struggle:
“The KLA waged a just war—a war for freedom, for liberation from occupation. From as early as 1994, when its actions were first publicly communicated, the KLA made its goal clear: national liberation. It adhered to international laws of armed conflict, including the Geneva Convention of 1949.”
He went on to criticize the Special Court for a lack of impartiality, accusing it of violating the rights of the accused:
“In our region, many new leaders still lack cooperation, stability, and a clear pro-Western orientation. Whoever keeps these stabilizing figures in detention is acting against our stability—and against the West itself in the Balkans. Throughout the wars and their aftermath, neither Serbia nor the Macedonian authorities have ever accepted the rights of Albanians. Serbia is using the Special Court in The Hague as a tool to dismantle Kosovo’s independence. It is trying to undo every achievement of the Kosovar people.”
Ahmeti also denounced the credibility of the court’s evidence, claiming it relies on questionable sources:
“The court operates like Serbia—accepting evidence from those who themselves have committed crimes,” he concluded.
