From Appeals to Protests: KLA War Veterans Organization Unveils Action Plan After The Hague Verdict

The Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans Organization (OVL-UÇK) has unveiled its “Platform for Action of OVL-UÇK following the first-instance judgment of the Specialist Chambers,” setting out the goals, demands and methods of action after the first-instance verdict in The Hague.

The platform was presented by Fatmir Sopi, who said the main goal is to turn the reaction to the developments in The Hague into organized, professional and sustained action.

“The goal of the Platform is for OVL-UÇK to transform its reaction after the verdict into organized, professional and sustained action,” Sopi declared.

According to him, the platform’s priorities include defense at the Appeals level, monitoring the rights of the accused, preserving democratic debate, amending or repealing Law No. 05/L-053 on the Specialist Chambers, seeking political accountability, peaceful citizen participation, international engagement and documenting the history of the KLA.

The platform also foresees an institutional reassessment of the Specialist Chambers, linking it to the process that led to the creation of this mechanism.

“The institutional reassessment of the Chambers must analyze the relationship between the reasons that led to the creation of the mechanism, including the Council of Europe report’s claims, the broader mandate later given to the Chambers, the charges raised and the concrete results of the proceedings,” Sopi said.

For the implementation of the platform, OVL-UÇK foresees the creation of an Action Coordination Council, under the responsibility of the organization’s Presidency.

“To implement the Platform, an Action Coordination Council must be created under the responsibility of the Presidency of OVL-UÇK. It sets priorities, coordinates teams, approves strategic documents and reports on results,” he declared.

The platform foresees four teams. The Legal and Defense Team will deal with analyzing the verdict, the positions of the Appeals level, the standard of proof and procedural guarantees.

“Prepare the Legal Memorandum for the amendment or repeal of Law No. 05/L-053, including analysis of Article 162 of the Constitution and the consequences of each alternative,” the platform states.

Meanwhile, the Institutional and Civic Action Team will prepare and submit requests to the Assembly, Government and Presidency, will follow up on institutional responses and will organize petitions and peaceful protests.

One of the platform’s key demands is the amendment or repeal of Law No. 05/L-053 on the Specialist Chambers.

“A special parliamentary debate and legal review of the amendment or repeal of the Law on the Specialist Chambers must be requested,” the platform states.

According to OVL-UÇK, this demand should be supported by a legal memorandum analyzing the constitutional basis, relevant evidence and the consequences of each alternative.

The platform also demands that the reassessment address the relationship between the claims that were part of the process that led to the creation of the mechanism, including the Council of Europe report, the mandate of the Chambers and the concrete results of the investigations and proceedings.

OVL-UÇK has foreseen legal and financial support for the processes at the Appeals level.

“Effective support for the defense at the Appeals level must be ensured under the legal framework — for lawyers, experts, investigators, evidence analysis, translations and specialized expertise,” the platform states.

The organization has requested that any limitation claimed to affect the effectiveness of the defense be documented and addressed institutionally.

As for the Solidarity Fund, the platform states it should serve as supplementary support, with full audit and transparency.

Another point of the platform concerns the creation of a professional mechanism for monitoring the Appeals process and procedural rights.

“Professional monitoring must be created for the standard of a fair trial, equality of arms, treatment of evidence, reasoning of decisions, detention and procedural guarantees,” the document states.

OVL-UÇK has proposed that monitoring reports be published in Albanian and English and sent to relevant institutions.

The platform also foresees analyzing materials originating from Serbian institutions, including their source, authenticity, chain of custody, context and probative weight.

OVL-UÇK has also included in the platform a demand for political accountability from ministers and officials for whom, according to the organization, there are documented public statements against the KLA.

“OVL-UÇK must demand political accountability and the removal from Government of ministers and officials for whom there are documented public statements accusing the KLA, its leaders or its members of war crimes, political killings or criminal activity, in cases where the claims are not supported by court decisions confirming them,” the platform states.

For each case, the organization demands the preparation of files with the concrete statement, date, source and facts documenting it.

According to the platform, the demand should be addressed to the prime minister as a matter of political responsibility and institutional trust.

The platform foresees expanding engagement with friendly states, parliaments, academic institutions, legal institutes, human rights organizations and media.

“Prepare the International Dossier, in English, and organize communication with friendly states, parliaments, academic institutions, legal institutes, human rights organizations and media. Create a network of diaspora coordinators and a unified message,” the platform states.

Meanwhile, for documenting the history of the KLA, OVL-UÇK has foreseen the creation of the KLA Archive, the collection and digitization of documents, photographs, videos, reports and veteran testimonies.

The organization also aims to prepare professional materials in Albanian and English, as well as to create an oral history program.

In the section on means of action, the platform sets peaceful protests, the national petition, legal and parliamentary initiatives, official requests to institutions, professional monitoring, transparent financing of the defense, international lobbying, the diaspora network, public communication and historical documentation.

“Protests must have clear demands. The initiative for Law No. 05/L-053 must have a legal memorandum. The demand for political accountability must have documented statements and sources. Lobbying must have professional dossiers. The Fund must have transparency and audit. History must have an archive,” Sopi concluded.