The Kosovo Assembly has adopted a resolution through which it has requested the Special Court in The Hague to exercise a fair trial against former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
In presenting the content of this resolution, Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP, Përparim Gruda, said that the resolution was drafted by independent experts.
The Assembly, with 90 votes in favor, approved the full content of the resolution, which reconfirms the Assembly's full commitment to respecting the constitutional order for the establishment of the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor's Office, recalling that their purpose was to address the allegations arising from the 2011 Council of Europe Report, which, according to the text, were not included in the indictments after more than a decade of investigations.
The document expresses faith in the values of the KLA and honors the sacrifice for freedom and independence, while also emphasizing commitment to democracy, the separation of powers, the independence of the judiciary, and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms under the Constitution and international instruments.
The Assembly demands from the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor's Office strict implementation of the Constitution and international standards for fair trial, transparency and protection of the rights of the accused, including former KLA leaders, as well as from the Ombudsperson to act with full independence.
The resolution also calls on donor states and international organizations to respect and monitor standards, while confirming institutional and financial support for the legal protection of the accused and the commitment to affirming the values of the KLA's struggle.
LDK's abstention and clashes with PDK
Before the vote, the Democratic League of Kosovo requested that a point be added to the resolution that would require the investigation of murders before and after the war.
"This point of the resolution calls on all law and order institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, as well as encourages international support for intensifying efforts towards the full clarification of all unsolved murders that occurred during and after the war period in Kosovo, in order to ensure justice for all victims, to uncover the truth and to strengthen the rule of law on the principles of impartiality and equality before the law," said Jehona Lushaku, head of the LDK Parliamentary Group.
But, Përparim Gruda of PDK said that the text is from a group of professors, around 300 members, who were deposited as a petition in the Kosovo Assembly and is not a text drafted by the parties, and said that there was only agreement.
"What the resolution aims to do is to demand what the Kosovo Assembly voted for, namely to have a court that respects European standards and the Constitution of Kosovo. It is impossible to make a change," replied Përparim Gruda.
However, Lushaku insisted that the point proposed by them be included in the resolution.
"This text is also an expert text, and we think that this wording is also in agreement with the general text of the resolution, so we would like to have it as part of it," she said.
PDK thanked the MPs for approving the resolution
The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) greets and thanks the members of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo for approving the Resolution in defense of the rights of the liberators in The Hague, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi and others.
According to the PDK, this Resolution was put on the agenda and voted on today in the first session of the 10th legislature of the Assembly, following the request of the Parliamentary Group of this party. It marks an important institutional and national moment, emphasizing the commitment to a fair, impartial process and in accordance with constitutional and international standards.
“The resolution calls on the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office to ensure full respect for international and constitutional standards, transparency and accountability, and the cultivation of public trust in justice. It also confirms the commitment of Kosovo institutions to support the right to protection of leaders and fighters of the Kosovo Liberation Army, including through financial support.”
PDK considers this vote as an act of state responsibility and institutional unity, emphasizing that protecting a fair legal process, respecting the dignity of the liberation war, and affirming the values on which the Republic of Kosovo was built are obligations that transcend party affiliations.
"We will continue to be guardians of the Constitution, of the values of the Kosovo Liberation Army and of the right to impartial justice, on behalf of the state and citizens of the Republic of Kosovo," the PDK statement said.
Other reactions
The only MP who voted against the resolution was Fatos Geci of LVV.
He described it as a document aimed at protecting individuals.
"In general, I am against the leaders, not of the KLA but of individuals, and I am very proud of the action I took. The text talks about the protection of individuals who are in The Hague, in the Special Court," Geci said.
However, analysts Sadri Ramabaja and Visar Ymeri on Debat Plus commented on the adoption of the resolution by the Kosovo Assembly regarding the Specialist Chambers, assessing that the document was necessary and carefully formulated to maintain institutional neutrality.
Sadri Ramabaja emphasized that the adoption of the resolution was a necessary step and that there was no need for additional debate about the text.
"There was no room for debate here about the text of the resolution. And I think it should have been voted on similarly. It is good that it was voted on, it passed. It is good that a similar resolution was voted on today in Tirana. And that is what our two republics should do at least," declared Ramabaja.
Meanwhile, Visar Ymeri assessed that the resolution was drafted in a balanced manner, with the aim of avoiding any interpretation as interference in the judicial process.
"The resolution says that we respect human rights and international principles... and the resolution is demanding that you cannot put innocent people in prison just because you have a reason, but it is not saying that you cannot put those who are guilty in prison. That is why I am saying that any addition to it could disrupt the balance, the neutrality," Ymeri said. /Telegrafi/
