New Actor: Kosovo protesters mobilize on 18th independence anniversary
Thousands marched through Pristina on Kosovo’s 18th Independence Day to oppose the trial in The Hague of former president Hashim Thaci and three other former KLA leaders. The protest focused on prosecutors’ request of up to 45 years in prison for each defendant.
The march ran under the slogan “Justice, Not Politics” and was organized by the civic platform Liria ka Emër. Protesters waved Albanian flags, carried signs reading “History cannot be rewritten” and “Freedom for the liberators,” and ringed an independence monument with metal fencing topped by a “Kosovo in Prison” placard.
Organizer Ismajl Tasholli told the crowd the KLA fought to defend its home and warned against equating victim and aggressor. President Vjosa Osmani backed the protest’s message, and Prime Minister Albin Kurti called the KLA war a just liberation struggle. The anniversary doubled as a mass show of opposition to the Hague cases with open support from top officials.
Synthesized from 17 sources
Los Angeles TimesRadio Free Europe/Radio LibertyPrishtina InsightAl JazeeraTimesofisraelAlbaniandailynewsKohaGazetaexpressKosovapressRferlReutersAFPAPBalcanicaucasoGenocidewatchNPRThe Guardian
AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources
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