THOUSANDS RALLY IN PODUJEVO AGAINST KLA CONVICTIONS
KosovaLive - July 16, 2003

Podujeve (Podujevo) - 16 July: Thousands of citizens took to the streets of Podujeve today following the sentencing of four officers of the Kosova Liberation Army (UCK) of the Llap (Lab) Operative Zone.

Today's protest organized by the three associations derived from the war was the largest since the arrest of the four last years.

The protesters cheered the names of Commander Remi, Latif Gashi, Naim Kadriu, and Nazif Mehmeti that were sentenced by the Prishtina District Court to a total of 45 years imprisonment. They were holding photographs of the sentenced, and placards that read: "UCK-UCK", "Freedom for Liberators", "Down With Yugoslav Laws", "Down with UNMIK (UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo)", "Down with Traitors," and so forth.

Ramadan Demolli said in his speech that despite that they were sentenced according to Yugoslav laws they will always remain liberators.

While Afrim Kuleta, on behalf of the ShVL (War Veterans Association) said, "The decision of the courts would not impact achieving of our sacred national ideal, neither will it fade."

"Our war is not a war against a person or a dictatorial regime, but it is raised on the basis of Albanians' freedom aspirations over centuries," he said. He added that the national problems are not resolved by protests, nor is "the release of our comrades from UNMIK prisons", but he added that the aim is to raise the national consciousness of the injustice against the liberation war.

Relatives and citizens in the protest said that this is a politically motivated trial, comparable to those made during the period of the former Yugoslavia.

The protest was the 23rd since the detention of the four accused. It was the fifth during this week alone. All entrances and exits to the town were checked by increased police forces. The protest however passed quietly.

Source: KosovaLive, Pristina, in English 16 Jul 03

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