President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani today paid tribute to the figure of national activist Adem Demaçi, calling him the symbol of resistance, the unbreakable dissident, and the voice of the unprotected.
Remembering a Legacy of Peace and Courage
In a Facebook post, President Osmani wrote that Adem Demaçi was “the symbol of resistance, the unbreakable dissident, the voice of the unprotected, the unstoppable critic, and a free man even when he was behind bars.”
“Instead of revenge, he preached peace. Instead of hatred, he sowed reconciliation. Instead of fear, he spoke the truth with courage. He sacrificed his individual freedom for the collective freedom of his people. His name will live as long as freedom itself! May the memory of Baca Adem be eternal,” Osmani wrote.
Today marks seven years since the death of Adem Demaçi, an activist for the national cause who became known as the “Mandela of Kosovo.”
A Life Dedicated to the National Cause
Born in Lupq, Podujeva, in 1936, Adem Demaçi was an activist for the national cause during the time of Yugoslavia, fighting for Kosovo’s equality with the other republics. For his political engagement, Demaçi spent 28 years in Yugoslav prisons. After his release, he immediately continued his political activism. He was also called the “Nelson Mandela of Europe.”
Demaçi led the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) from 1990 to 1995. In 1991, he was awarded the Sakharov Prize by the European Parliament. During the 1998-1999 Rambouillet meetings on the future of Kosovo, he served as the political spokesperson for the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). He was also president of the Kosovo Writers’ League from 2005 to 2007.
