After submitting the petition, Gucati spoke from The Hague to KosovaPress, emphasizing that the petition represents the voice of thousands of Albanians from all Albanian-inhabited regions.
He also commented on the decision by the Special Court to postpone the deadline for announcing the verdict regarding Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi.
“I hope and strongly believe that the court will deliver true justice and take our signatures into consideration — signatures from Albanians across all territories, not only in Kosovo but also in Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and the Albanian diaspora. These petitions should reach the right ears and the right place, and it should be acknowledged that 200,000 Albanians signed in support of the sacred war and directly for the president and the others to be freed from this great injustice that is happening to us at this moment,” he declared from The Hague.
Gucati said the 200,000 signatures demonstrate Albanians’ demand to protect the values of the liberation war.
“The 200,000 signatures prove the innocence of the leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army. They show that there was a sacred war in this country and that there was an army that confronted Serbian paramilitary Chetnik forces, the Serbian army, and Serbian police, through which we liberated the country,” he stated.
He also criticized the Special Court’s decision to delay the verdict for the four former KLA leaders.
“It is very unfair because, as I said, this process has dragged on for five and a half years — now we are entering the sixth year. Keeping people imprisoned for six years is shameful for international justice itself. This is not international justice; this is Kosovo’s court because our parliament voted for it. It has been excessively prolonged, nearly six years. Once again, as war veterans’ organizations, this is unacceptable to us, and we demand that a verdict be reached as soon as possible — and a positive verdict on our side,” he concluded.
Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi delivered their closing statements on February 18 of this year.
They once again declared themselves not guilty on all counts of the indictment.
The trial against the four former KLA leaders began on April 3, 2023 — nearly three years after the indictment was confirmed, during which time the former KLA leaders have been held in the detention center in The Hague.
