Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama visited Prishtina on Monday, meeting his Kosovar counterpart Albin Kurti and President Vjosa Osmani, one day ahead of Kosovo’s Independence Day celebrations. The visit focused on bilateral relations and regional political developments, but much of Rama’s remarks centered on the ongoing trials of former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) at the Hague-based Special Court for Kosovo.
During a book promotion for “When Silence Speaks” by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Shala, a former Kosovo ambassador, Rama condemned what he described as politically motivated prosecutions. He alleged that President Osmani was threatened for two years by the Special Court prosecutors to allow searches of her office, which she refused, protecting the integrity of the presidency.
Rama argued that the four former KLA leaders – Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi – have no connection to terrorism, ethnic cleansing, or crimes against civilians, emphasizing that they were armed to defend Kosovo, not to impose rule over others. He described the court proceedings as an attempt to equate Kosovo’s liberation struggle with the fascist campaigns of Serbia, calling the prosecutions a “political kidnapping.”
Rama made a provocative statement, saying: “If the KLA leaders are convicted, then Bill Clinton and Tony Blair should also be arrested,” referencing Western leaders who authorized NATO intervention during the Kosovo war. He framed this as a critique of perceived double standards in international justice, warning that punishing the KLA leaders would undermine the legitimacy of Kosovo’s struggle for independence.
The Prime Minister called the Hague proceedings a broader threat to justice in the region and Europe, stating that international institutions risk damaging their credibility by targeting figures he described as “innocent defenders of their people.”
Rama’s visit came as Kosovo prepares to mark the 18th anniversary of independence. Kosovo police said they would ensure security and manage traffic for the Albanian delegation during its two-day visit, which included meetings with top government officials and ceremonial events in Prishtina.
The Hague Special Court was established to try crimes allegedly committed by KLA leaders during and after the 1998–1999 conflict in Kosovo. Recent requests by prosecutors seek sentences of up to 45 years for each of the four former KLA officials. Rama’s remarks are part of a wider political debate in Albania and Kosovo over perceptions of justice, historical memory, and the role of Western powers in the Kosovo conflict.