Albania expressed deep concern over yesterday's request by the prosecution in The Hague to sentence each of the four leaders of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) to 45 years in prison, warning that the court must not allow the "just struggle for freedom" to be called into question.
After the Kosovo Specialized Prosecution Office requested 45-year prison sentences for Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselji, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi, Albanian Foreign Minister Elisa Spiropalli stated that "only a just decision, based on evidence and according to the highest standards of justice, can remove the great shadow that these positions (of the prosecution) have cast on the historical memory of the just struggle" of the KLA.
"The Kosovo Liberation Army was a liberation movement that enjoyed broad international support against a regime (of Slobodan Milošević) that committed systematic violence, ethnic cleansing, and widely documented crimes against the civilian population. Any proceedings against individuals from that war must carefully protect the essential distinction between individual criminal responsibility and the historical character of the struggle for freedom," Spiropalji stated.
Spiropalji also wrote on Facebook that "many crimes committed by Serbian forces against the civilian population of Kosovo remain unprocessed and without full criminal accountability," adding that "this inequality in the pursuit of justice undermines public trust in international justice."
"The court today has a special responsibility to not allow the language and approach of the prosecution to unjustly harm the liberation struggle and the dignity of those who fought for freedom," added the head of Albanian diplomacy.
She also wrote that Albania reaffirms that justice should serve truth and reconciliation, not the creation of narratives that revise history or relativize internationally recognized responsibilities for crimes committed during the war in Kosovo.
"We emphasize the importance of concluding the proceedings within a reasonable time and with full respect for international fair trial standards. Albania will continue to closely monitor this process and will remain committed to the values of the rule of law, international justice and the dignity of the liberation war of the people of Kosovo," Spiropalji stated.
The request by the Kosovo Specialized Prosecution Office, responsible for investigations and prosecutions within the jurisdiction of the Kosovo Specialized Councils, the KLA crimes court also based in The Hague, was criticized earlier today by representatives of the Kosovo government and the opposition.
The Kosovo Specialized Prosecution Office yesterday requested 45-year prison sentences for Thaci, Veselji, Selimi and Krasniqi, who are charged with war crimes against civilians in Kosovo and Albania in 1998 and 1999.
Chief Prosecutor Kimberly West said the evidence presented “justifies lengthy prison sentences for all defendants.” Other prosecutors from the Kosovo Specialized Prosecution Office also claimed yesterday that they had proven that the former KLA leaders had and carried out “a common criminal intent.”
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