The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, accompanied by the acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, paid homage on the anniversary of the passing of Adem Demaçi, to one of the main figures of Kosovo’s struggle for freedom.
“His life connected several stages of our history. He was part of the political resistance at a time when the demand for freedom was punishable by imprisonment, he was the voice of Albanians’ rights when they were denied and he remained present in public life even when Kosovo entered a new chapter of its history”, emphasized Acting President Haxhiu.
According to her, the writer who opposed blood feuds was the same activist who opposed slavery and, after the liberation of Kosovo, insisted that freedom not be used for revenge.
“Uncle Adem belonged to the generation that severely experienced the denial of Albanian rights in Yugoslavia. He chose not to remain silent and paid for this choice with 28 years in prison. He spent 28 years in prison, but neither imprisonment nor persecution made him give up his beliefs and his demand for Kosovo’s freedom,” said Acting President Haxhiu.
She said that Adem Demaçi’s name had crossed the borders of Kosovo long before Kosovo gained its freedom.
“Amnesty International took him under its protection as a prisoner of conscience, the US Senate demanded his release, while the European Parliament honored him with the Sakharov Prize for his stance in the face of an authoritarian regime,” emphasized Acting President Haxhiu.
According to Acting President Haxhiu, Adem Demaçi was not a man of measured words to please everyone.
“He was direct, often harsh and always ready to defend what he believed in. Precisely for this reason, his figure cannot be separated from the history of political thought and Albanian resistance in Kosovo. Today we remember him with respect for the suffering he faced with dignity, for his endurance and for the life he linked to the freedom of Kosovo. Eternal honor to Adem Demaçi”, said Acting President Haxhiu.
