Former Economy Minister Fatmir Bytiqi stated that the Hague court's recent sentence against Hashim Thaci and his lieutenants cannot undermine the history of the Albanian struggle in Kosovo.
Key facts
- •Fatmir Bytiqi served as the Economy Minister under the SDSM party.
- •The Hague court convicted Hashim Thaci and three lieutenants of war crimes.
- •The defendants were found guilty of killing more than 100 prisoners.
- •The court found the group responsible for the torture of 400 individuals.
- •Bytiqi stated that the judicial decision is still subject to an appeal process.
Fatmir Bytiqi, an official with the SDSM party and former Economy Minister, has publicly criticized the recent war crimes sentence handed down by the Hague against former UCK commander Hashim Thaci and three of his lieutenants. Bytiqi’s comments align him with other ethnic Albanian politicians who have condemned the court's decision.
By the numbers
Details of the Hague verdict
The court found Hashim Thaci and his three lieutenants guilty of charges involving the killing of over 100 prisoners and the torture of 400 others. Despite these findings, Bytiqi characterized the ruling as a judicial decision that remains subject to appeal.
Bytiqi's response to the ruling
In a statement, Bytiqi argued that no judicial verdict has the power to rewrite history or diminish the liberation character of the war in Kosovo. He emphasized that the sentence should not be viewed as a judgment against the people of Kosovo or their historical struggle, asserting that the ultimate verdict on the matter belongs to the generations who have lived there.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Republika (North Macedonia).
