Ahead of Saturday’s protest in Shkup organized by the OVL-UÇK in support of former KLA leaders currently on trial in The Hague, North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski announced that the government has formed a “crisis headquarters” to ensure everything proceeds calmly and without incidents.
Mickoski also emphasized that the government does not support the protest.
“The Government does not support it and we do not intend to. Nevertheless, we will ensure that everything proceeds in the best order, that no incidents occur, and that nothing happens that we do not want to see. There is no political agreement behind this. We will do everything—from border entry to the conclusion of the protest. Our strategic partners have been informed and we have formed a crisis headquarters to monitor all activities 24 hours before and after the protest,” Mickoski said, as reported by Alsat.
OVL-UÇK: Mickoski’s statements create unnecessary tension
In response, the OVL-UÇK stated that the prime minister’s remarks about forming a crisis headquarters only increase unnecessary tension, insisting that the protest is peaceful and properly organized.
“The statements of Prime Minister Mickoski only create unnecessary tension and try to portray a democratic gathering as a threat. We assure citizens and all participants that the protest is fully coordinated, peaceful, non-partisan, and there is no reason for dramatization. We call on North Macedonian institutions to maintain professionalism and not politicize the constitutional right to protest.”
The protest in support of former KLA leaders will be held on 13 December at Skënderbeu Square in Shkup. This will be the fifth protest of its kind—after previous ones in Prishtina (7 August), The Hague, Tirana, and Strasbourg.
Former KLA leaders Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi have been held in The Hague since November 2020. All four have pleaded not guilty to the charges brought by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office.
