TIRANA, February 16 – Prime Minister Edi Rama described the prosecution’s request for 45-year sentences for four KLA leaders as a serious blow to international justice and the democratic West. He made the remarks in Prishtina during the promotion of the book When Silence Speaks by Ahmet Shala.

Rama said Albania and Kosova must consider further action. He called for joint efforts within international legal norms. He stressed that both countries must exhaust all available institutional avenues.

He warned that failing to address the issue would create long-term political consequences. According to Rama, certain forces attempt to equate ethnic violence with a liberation war. He strongly rejected that comparison.

Rama argued that the accused acted as political and moral leaders of a popular mobilization, not as commanders of a regular army. He added that if the prosecution’s logic stands, responsibility would extend to international leaders who supported the 1999 intervention.

He also referenced previous cases in The Hague that involved ethnic cleansing and crimes against civilians. He said prosecutors did not present comparable evidence against the four KLA leaders.

The prosecution has requested 45 years in prison for each of the four accused.

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