Albanian Gubetini: Five years of injustice, five years of pride for the KLA
Written by: Shqiptar Gubetini
It has been exactly five years since the former leaders of the KLA and Kosovo institutions have been unjustly held in detention, in the cold cells of the Specialist Chambers in The Hague. Five years later, much has changed since the beginning of November 2020, but what has not changed and is growing stronger every day is the unquenchable pride in the KLA – the army that brought freedom to this country.
Today, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi are not only missed by their families and friends. They are missed by Kosovo, the institutions, the people and the entire Albanian nation. On September 14, a large protest was held in The Hague, where exiles and veterans from all over the world united under one voice. There was a loud shout that the KLA war was just, liberating and necessary. We did not gather to deny justice, but to demand justice. The message was clear: no one can rewrite the history of Kosovo! On everyone's faces, there was hope, that even at the end of this long tunnel, a light will shine.
The people of Kosovo have experienced ethnic cleansing and the most horrific massacres in Europe in the late 20th century, while the perpetrators of those crimes have still not been brought to justice. On the other hand, the attempts to equate the victim with the aggressor have never been more pronounced. This injustice hurts every Albanian, wherever they live. The protests in Pristina and those in The Hague are proof that the people do not forget their best sons and will stand by them under any circumstances. In these five years of their physical absence, the state has lost the right direction, has deviated from the path that President Thaçi and his comrades had paved, especially in the approach to building relations with international friends.
Therefore, today, everyone, without distinction, awaits the end of this marathon with great hope and faith that Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi will return to Kosovo - to continue consolidating the state and strengthening the freedom for which thousands of martyrs of the nation gave their lives.
The Albanian people have suffered for generations, and the KLA war was the seal of centuries-old efforts for freedom and independence. This is the price we are paying today. Although unjustly in prison, Thaçi and his comrades are once again at the helm of duty, because they are carrying a new battle for the dignity of Kosovo on their shoulders. We are all convinced that, despite today's darkness, one day - THE SUN WILL RISE AGAIN!
