Protest march in Skopje in support of Thaci and convicted KLA leaders: “Freedom” and “Justice” before the Skanderbeg monument

A protest march was held this afternoon in Skopje in support of former Kosovo president Hashim Thaçi and three other former KLA leaders — Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi and Kadri Veseli — convicted of war crimes by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague, as Fokus reports.

The rally began at 14:00 at the “Skënderbeu” monument, where citizens carried banners reading “Freedom” and “Justice,” according to Fokus’s reporting on the protest in support of the convicted leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

Among those present were DUI leader Ali Ahmeti and Alliance for Albanians chairman Ziadin Sela. The organizing council had invited to the march the families of the fallen, war veterans and invalids, former prisoners and politically persecuted persons, as well as representatives of the religious, academic and civic sectors.

The protest comes days after the Hague court’s verdict: on September 16, Thaçi and Krasniqi were sentenced to 25 years in prison each, Veseli to 18 years and Selimi to 13 years. The court found them guilty of several war crimes but acquitted them of crimes against humanity charges. The verdict is first-instance and can be appealed.

The march proceeded without incident, while organizers stressed that the aim was to express solidarity with the convicted leaders and demand a fair judicial process.