A nationwide protest is set to take place on October 17 in Skënderbeu Square in Tirana, in support of the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) currently being tried in The Hague.
This will be the third such protest this year, calling for their release.
The demonstration has been endorsed by the leaders of two opposition parties in Kosovo — Memli Krasniqi of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and Ramush Haradinaj of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK).
Krasniqi stated that the protest should serve as a rallying call for all Albanians, wherever they live, to defend their history, dignity, and struggle for freedom.
“From Tirana to Prishtina, from Skopje to Ulqin, from Presheva to the diaspora — one voice, one stance, one cause: Justice for our liberators!” he wrote on Facebook.
Haradinaj also voiced his support for the protest, declaring:
“We will always stand firm in the righteousness of our war for freedom.”
The Organization of KLA War Veterans (OVL-UÇK) announced that the protest will be peaceful, with the demand for justice for the former KLA commanders.
From Tirana, OVL-UÇK Chairman Hysni Gucati called on citizens and political forces to join the demonstration, emphasizing that it follows earlier protests held in Prishtina and The Hague, where the Kosovo Specialist Chambers are based.
“Today, from this platform, we call upon all Albanians and political parties to join us in this peaceful protest in Tirana. Let us rise together as one nation to stand against injustice,” Gucati stated.
Organizers said the protest aims to become a unified national call against what they view as an unjust trial of the former KLA leaders.