Once again, Serbian media are using Kosovo and the KLA’s war to promote a narrative aimed at discrediting the Albanian liberation struggle and portraying its former leaders as people trying to escape justice. This time, the Serbian newspaper Danas has joined the campaign.
Under the headline “Mrdić’s Laws in the Kosovo Way: Attempt to Absolve KLA Leaders with Judicial Laws,” Danas portrays the PDK’s initiative to amend the Law on Specialist Chambers as an attempt to shield former KLA leaders from criminal responsibility.
Rather than offering a thorough legal analysis, the newspaper draws a provocative comparison with Serbia and relies on claims made by political scientist Ognjen Gogić to construct a political conclusion: that the proposed amendments were an attempt to influence judicial proceedings.
This is how propaganda narratives are built: first, attach a label; then select claims that support it; finally, present a political interpretation to the public as if it were an established fact.
POLITICAL ACCUSATIONS ARE NOT EVIDENCE
Danas claims that the PDK was behind the protests and that the president’s decision to return the law to the Assembly resulted from pressure by the European Union. But an analyst’s allegations do not become facts simply because a newspaper publishes them.
If the newspaper claims that the amendments were intended to obstruct justice, it should identify the specific provisions that would have produced that effect and provide evidence supporting its allegations about the political actors’ motives.
The proposed amendments reportedly concerned the jurisdiction of the Specialist Chambers, the handling of certain cases by Kosovo’s judiciary, sentencing limits and appeal procedures. Their compatibility with Kosovo’s Constitution and international obligations deserves serious examination. But that does not justify presenting an alleged political motive as an established fact.
Comparing Kosovo’s legislation with laws associated with Serbian MP Uglješa Mrdić does not replace legal analysis. It creates a political analogy, but does not, by itself, prove that the two initiatives share the same purpose or legal consequences.
AS USUAL, THE KLA IS IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF SERBIAN MEDIA
This is not the first time Serbian media have approached Kosovo through a narrative that places the KLA at the centre of accusations while pushing the historical context of the liberation war into the background.
The KLA emerged amid Serbian repression and the denial of the fundamental rights of Kosovo Albanians. It became a symbol of resistance and the struggle for freedom. This historical reality cannot be erased by reducing the liberation war to a debate about allegations against its former leaders.
This does not mean that specific allegations should be dismissed. Criminal responsibility is individual and must be established through evidence and a fair judicial process. Former KLA leaders are entitled to the presumption of innocence, effective legal representation and an impartial assessment of the evidence.
Demanding a fair trial is not a demand for impunity. Defending the liberation struggle is not a rejection of justice.
Yet these distinctions disappear when a media outlet portrays efforts to debate legal provisions as evidence of a political conspiracy. In doing so, Danas is not helping readers understand the issue; it is steering them towards a predetermined conclusion.
WHERE IS THE SAME ZEAL FOR CRIMES AGAINST KOSOVO ALBANIANS?
If justice is the standard, it must apply to everyone. The killings of Albanian civilians, forced expulsions and repression carried out by Serbian forces cannot be pushed aside whenever public debate focuses on former KLA leaders.
Justice cannot be selective, and Kosovo’s history cannot be examined exclusively through accusations against Albanians. Media outlets demanding accountability should also demand accountability for crimes committed against the people of Kosovo.
PROPAGANDA CANNOT REWRITE HISTORY
Danas has every right to criticise decisions made by Kosovo’s institutions. But criticism requires facts, evidence and analysis not headlines that prejudge motives and turn political allegations into ready-made conclusions.
The KLA cannot be discredited through labels. Its former leaders cannot be declared guilty through newspaper headlines. And the Albanian struggle for freedom cannot be reduced to Belgrade’s political narrative.
Danas must support its allegations with evidence, not insinuations. Because when propaganda attempts to put the KLA on trial outside the courtroom, the answer is clear: facts must be examined, the accused must receive fair trials, and history must not be rewritten to serve Serbian political interests.
