The Albanian Ambassadors Council (KASH) expressed deep concern over the first-instance verdict issued by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague against four former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders.

KASH said Kosovo’s history cannot be rewritten. The council also said no one can question the liberation character of the war.

The council raised concerns about the length of the trial, the defendants’ years-long detention, the sentences and the standards applied during the proceedings.

However, KASH stressed that the verdict does not represent a judgment against the people of Kosovo or the KLA’s war.

The council called on the appeals panel to review the evidence and legal responsibilities in full. It also urged the international community to apply the same standards to crimes committed by Serbian forces in Kosovo.

KASH said it respects the rule of law and judicial independence. It also defended every victim’s right to justice.

At the same time, the council questioned the length of the proceedings and the defendants’ prolonged detention.

KASH described the KLA war as a liberation struggle against repression, ethnic cleansing and systematic violence under Slobodan Milosevic’s regime.

The council said the democratic world supported Kosovo’s struggle. It also said NATO’s intervention ended a humanitarian crisis that forced around one million Kosovo Albanians from their homes.

Meanwhile, KASH recalled the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The tribunal prosecuted senior officials from Milosevic’s state, military and police structures.

The council said the tribunal documented killings, massacres, forced expulsions and systematic persecution of civilians. KASH said these crimes cannot be relativized or equated with Kosovo’s struggle for freedom.

The council also rejected any interpretation of the verdict as a judgment against Kosovo or the KLA.

“No court decision can stain the sacrifice of thousands of martyrs and victims. It cannot erase Kosovo’s historical right to freedom. It cannot overturn the distinction between aggressor and victim,” KASH said.

“ Kosovo’s history and the liberation character of its war cannot be rewritten,” the council added.

Meanwhile, KASH noted strong reactions to the verdict in Kosovo and among the diaspora. The council urged Kosovo’s international partners to maintain a clear and balanced position.

KASH said respect for judicial proceedings should not relativize Serbian aggression or rewrite Kosovo’s wartime history. The council called on the appeals process to examine the evidence, legal conclusions, individual responsibility and proportionality of the sentences.

KASH also stressed that the ruling remains a first-instance decision. The defendants can still use the available legal remedies.

At the same time, the council urged the international community to apply the same justice standards to mass crimes committed by Serbian forces in Kosovo.

“Justice cannot be complete, equal and credible while many people responsible for massacres, expulsions, sexual violence, destruction and enforced disappearances remain unpunished,” KASH said.

The Albanian Ambassadors Council expressed solidarity with the people of Kosovo and the families of those convicted. It called for calm, unity and dignity. It also urged them to trust the legal remedies available under the law.

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