Antonijevic: It must not be overlooked that four former KLA leaders were convicted of war crimes

Commissioner for the Protection of Equality Milan Antonijevic said, following a gathering of activists outside the homes of the heads of the parliamentary groups of three Albanian parties in Pristina, that the right to peaceful assembly and the expression of political views must be respected and must not turn into pressure or threats, but also that it must not be forgotten what the former KLA leaders were convicted of in The Hague.

In a post on the social media platform X, Antonijevic stressed that it was particularly important that the debate on the Specialist Chambers not lose sight of the fact that four former KLA leaders had been convicted at first instance by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague of war crimes, including murder, unlawful detention, cruel treatment and torture.

“The rights and dignity of the victims and their families must remain at the heart of every discussion. The victims of the crimes for which the former KLA leaders were convicted must not once again become invisible,” Antonijevic said.

Activists from the “Not in My Name” initiative gathered today outside the homes of the heads of the parliamentary groups of the Self-Determination Movement, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Alliance—Arberie Nagavci, Arian Tahiri and Besnik Tahiri—demanding accountability over delays in adopting amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers.

They called for a session of the Assembly to be convened as soon as possible and for the proposed legislation, which they consider necessary to protect the KLA and the “liberators,” to be put to a vote.

Kosovo Assembly President Albulena Haxhiu has convened a session for tomorrow at 9 a.m., with the Draft Law amending and supplementing the Law on the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office as the first item on the agenda.