Thousands of demonstrators filled the central squares of Pristina in the largest nationwide protest to date against the sentences of four former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The march was directed against the decisions of the court in The Hague, which found the leaders guilty of war crimes committed during the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo.
Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and three other commanders received sentences of between 13 and 25 years in prison. In Kosovo, the decisions were called unfair. Protesters said the KLA had fought against Serbian oppression and the sentences could tarnish the country's fight for independence.
The demonstrators carried signs reading "Not in my name" and praised the KLA as a liberation movement. Some participants criticized the European Union for its support for the Kosovo Specialist Courts. One protest chanted "EU betrayed Kosovo."
The protests began after the sentences were handed down and have continued daily. On Thursday, demonstrators blocked a road near Pristina airport as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in the capital on a tour of the Balkans.
The differences over the verdicts
At a joint press conference with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, von der Leyen said the decisions were made by independent judicial institutions and their mandate must be respected.
„Nothing and no one can rewrite the history of Kosovo. "1999 is etched in Europe's collective memory - the brutal repression, the humanitarian crisis and the suffering endured by your people," said Ursula von der Leyen.Kurti did not oppose the bill with which parliament condemned the verdicts, but said he was awaiting an opinion from his legal team.
The Kosovo parliament unanimously condemned the court's decisions. The opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo has also proposed a law that would limit the mandate of the Kosovo Specialist Courts, the Hague-based judicial institution that is trying crimes committed by KLA members.
Protests Amid Political Crisis
The demonstrations have further complicated the political crisis in Kosovo. They followed more than 19 months of deadlock that blocked a presidential election and led to two early parliamentary votes.
The war in Kosovo killed more than 13,000 people, mostly ethnic Albanians, and forced an estimated 1 million Kosovo Albanians from their homes. After a 78-day NATO air campaign, Serbian forces withdrew from what was then a Serbian province. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but Serbia still does not recognize it.
Albin Kurti has until October 6 to reach an agreement with the opposition on the election of the next president. In the absence of an agreement, the country could head for new early elections.
Sources: nova.bg, apnews.com