Today\u2019s verdict and the sentences imposed on Hashim Tha\u00e7i, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi represent a heavy blow to their families, deeply shocking news for the Republic of Kosovo, and a difficult moment for the Albanian nation wherever it resides.<\/p>\n
On a day like this, the weight of this decision cannot be separated from the history that shaped us. Kosovo endured the violence of a state apparatus that killed civilians, committed massacres, expelled hundreds of thousands of Albanians from their homes, and left behind thousands of dead and missing persons. This experience is an indelible part of the memory of Kosovo and the Albanian nation.<\/p>\n
My thoughts are, first and foremost, with the families of Hashim Tha\u00e7i, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi. For years, they have borne the burden of absence, of anticipation and uncertainty. Today\u2019s sentences make that burden even heavier.
\nI send them a message from Kosovo: stay strong; Kosovo stands with you. The final legal word has not yet been spoken. The right to appeal is part of the process and must be fully exercised.
\nThe struggle of the Kosovo Liberation Army was a war of liberation. It emerged in the face of the oppression, violence, and crimes committed by the Serbian regime against the people of Kosovo. No court ruling can alter the nature of that war, nor can it undo a people’s right to fight for their freedom.<\/p>\n
Respect for justice does not imply silence in the face of any attempt to distort history. Today\u2019s verdicts must not be allowed to be used to relativize the crimes of the Serbian regime, to diminish its responsibility for them, or to create a false narrative.
\nWe expect this same clarity from our friends and allies.<\/p>\n
Today, we need composure, dignity, and unity. The pain of this day must not divide us.<\/p>\n
The Republic of Kosovo will weather this trial as well, remaining steadfast in its commitment to justice, freedom, and the truth. For court rulings can neither judge a people’s history nor rewrite it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Today\u2019s verdict and the sentences imposed on Hashim Tha\u00e7i, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi represent a heavy blow to their families, deeply shocking news for the Republic of Kosovo, and a difficult moment for the Albanian nation wherever it resides. On a day like this, the weight of this decision cannot be separated from the history that shaped us. Kosovo endured the violence of a state apparatus that killed civilians, committed massacres, expelled hundreds of thousands of Albanians from their homes, and left behind thousands of dead and missing persons. This experience is an indelible part of the memory of Kosovo and the Albanian nation. My thoughts are, first and foremost, with the families of Hashim Tha\u00e7i, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi. For years, they have borne the burden of absence, of anticipation and uncertainty. Today\u2019s sentences make that burden even heavier. I send them a message from Kosovo: stay strong; Kosovo stands with you. The final legal word has not yet been spoken. The right to appeal is part of the process and must be fully exercised. The struggle of the Kosovo Liberation Army was a war of liberation. It emerged in the face of the oppression, violence, and crimes committed by the Serbian regime against the people of Kosovo. No court ruling can alter the nature of that war, nor can it undo a people’s right to fight for their freedom. Respect for justice does not imply silence in the face of any attempt to distort history. Today\u2019s verdicts must not be allowed to be used to relativize the crimes of the Serbian regime, to diminish its responsibility for them, or to create a false narrative. We expect this same clarity from our friends and allies. Today, we need composure, dignity, and unity. The pain of this day must not divide us. The Republic of Kosovo will weather this trial as well, remaining steadfast in its commitment to justice, freedom, and the truth. For court rulings can neither judge a people’s history nor rewrite it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":194027,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-194052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n