Rexhep Selimi stated on Wednesday (February 18, 2026) before the trial panel in The Hague that Kosovo's liberation war was the result of necessity and that history cannot be rewritten through judicial processes.
Addressing the court, Selimi said that Serbia had openly demonstrated its intentions towards Albanians and that the creation of the KLA was a response to repression.
"Serbia never hid its intention towards Albanians. So I ask again: What should we have done? Wait our turn to be killed, or flee our homes? The KLA was not created out of desire, but out of necessity," he said.
Selimi emphasized that fighting alongside Adem Jashari is the greatest honor for him.
"Yes, I carried weapons. Weapons for us were survival. The KLA had no other goal than freedom. The KLA was a liberation army," he said.
He added that NATO's support for the KLA was proof that their actions were right.
"I am convinced that we did the right thing. I would do the same thing today. That is why NATO supported us," Selimi said.
In his speech, Selimi criticized the Prosecution for, as he said, unfounded allegations and for attempts to hold the KLA General Staff responsible.
He quoted the Prosecutor's Office as saying that the General Staff sought independence and would not support autonomy, describing this approach as problematic.
According to him, it is also wrong to try to divide the people of Kosovo into two, between those who wanted independence and those who sought autonomy.
"In Kosovo, there has been no party that has opposed independence, or that has sought autonomy under Serbia," Selimi added. /Telegrafi/
