Jakup Krasniqi speaks from The Hague: I believe in truth, our fight was fair

RTK: Do you think the process against you has been fair and balanced?

Krasniqi: As a historian and as a man who has devoted his whole life to freedom and statehood, I see this process in complete calm. I have no doubt that in the end, when all facts are weighed down, justice will prevail and the purity of our liberation war will be fully confirmed. I have had the extraordinary fate and honour of being a spokesman for the Kosovo Liberation Army. My weapons were LAPSI and FAJLA, through them I introduced the truth and suffering of my people before the democratic world. I firmly believe that this process will serve to prove before history that our struggle is a fair, clean and inevitable freedom effort.

From the beginning, I have worked fully with justice, respecting every court decision with patience and seriousness. As a man of science and public service, I have placed my faith in the uncontainable documents and evidence.

At this point, I want to express a deep public thanks to my defence team. With high professionalism, integrity and an inexorable human and professional commitment, they have done an extraordinary job of enlightening every fact and spreading our truth before this court. Thanks to this loud and dignified work, my conscience and the purity of my public life remain completely unbuttoned.

What makes me more optimistic and gives me greater strength is not my personal destiny, but the fact that Kosovo today is a free, sovereign and independent state where future generations can build their future with freedom and dignity.

RTK: After all these years, how would you like to remember the Kosovo Liberation Army war?

Krasniqi: The Kosovo Liberation Army war is remembered as it really was: a popular uprising born of a oppressed people and a subliminal project for human freedom and dignity. It was not our choice or desire for war, but it was the only way left to escape Serbia's genocide policy. I want history to mark it as a war that was listed alongside the highest values of Western civilization and democratic world. She should be remembered with pride because without that collective sacrifice, today we would have neither freedom nor Republic of Kosovo!

RTK: Do you believe that in the end you will convince the international opinion of your version of events?

We haven't created a <x0version” of history, we just testify to the truth that happened.

Krasniqi: International opinion, especially the Western world, knows the truth of Kosovo because it was part of it and the salvation of this people, where the support of our allies in 1999 and the recognition of our country resulted from just one cause. The world cannot forget what it saw with its own eyes, the sacrifice of a people for freedom, so I am fully convinced that when the fog of politics is spread, the pure truth of our liberation war will remain unscathed in global memory.

I am confident that the documented evidence, history and public memory will be carefully and fairly valued. Therefore, despite ongoing court processes in The Hague, history cannot and should not redefine the Kosovo Liberation Army as a criminal or terrorist organisation. The KLA was a liberation force that naturally stemmed from the people's struggle for freedom, dignity and the right of Kosovo Albanians to live free in their country, along with all other citizens without ethnic distinction, race or religion.

RTK: What message do you have for young people who have not experienced war?

Krasniqi: My message to young people is simple: love and protect Kosovo. The freedom you enjoy today is not free; it is paid at the highest human price, with the sacrifice of many generations.

Freedom is like air, its value fully understands only when it is absent. You are the generation of freedom and this is an extraordinary responsibility. Hence, this freedom must now be protected through education, civic responsibility, respect for law and public good service.

I am confident and hope that youth will build a country where political differences are resolved through democracy, justice and mutual respect; never through violence or oppression. Kosovo's future requires seriousness, not permanent confrontation. Political disagreements are normal in a democracy, but they should never weaken institutions or shift attention from common work for recognition, development and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Therefore I tell you, build your future here, on this earth, for no country in the world weighs heavier than your country. Open the horizons to the world, become part of it, but never forget the roots. With confidence in you and love for the land, you will send our Republic to the tops that my generation has only dreamed of. Kosovo's future is today in your minds and hands.

RTK: How would you like to remember in Kosovo history?

Krasniqi: Just like a man who did his duty to his homeland in the most difficult moments of our history.

As a history teacher not only did he explain the story to generations but he tried, along with the thousands of men and women in this country, to write it in a freedom effort. For me, the greatest honor of my life was to serve the Kosovo Liberation Army as its spokesman and later, as Speaker of the Parliament, to lead the historic session of February 17th 2008, when we declared Kosovo's independence. Heading parliament on that holy day was a responsibility and privilege granted only once in life.

If generations come to remember me as a man who worked honestly, who believed in pen, word, and justice, and who spared nothing for the Republic, that would be my greatest gratitude. I am calm with my past and full of hope for the future of my people!

RTK: How do you see political development from The Hague?

Krasniqi: When you see Kosovo from this distance, things begin to be seen with another, more historic perspective. Building the state is never an easy process, so my message to those leading today is that the powers and the governing mandates are temporary, but the Republic of Kosovo is permanent.

On this journey, we should never forget the high human price paid for the institutions we enjoy today. Kosovo simply does not have the luxury for artificial internal divisions or for close party interests. Our challenges, both internal and geopolitical, require a long-term strategic vision beyond four-year mandates.

In this direction, Kosovo must continue working towards a broader international recognition. The time is for caution, finding national unity around vital state institutions and preserving strategic partnerships.

Those leading today must work with high awareness of the sacrifice that brought us here so that future generations will inherit a stronger, more united and safer Kosovo.

RTK: What does a typical day look like for you in custody?

Krasniqi: At the age of 75, the routine in isolation is not easy. I spent my days reading different books, writing notes and reflections, and preparing for the trial process. I do my best to turn time into allies by pursuing regular discipline with a walk in the space permitted to maintain my health. For a man who has been tied to the book and writing all his life, this event remains my window towards freedom and the best way to keep his soul immune to isolation. We share time and conversation with our friends during the day.

RTK: What has been the most difficult moment during the holidays in detention?

Krasniqi: When you are this age, each year and every holiday away from your family are twice as heavy. The parties are supposed to make people together. The hardest moments are when you hear your grandchildren over the phone or when I see them through video connections. They grow up without my presence and that's the most painful part of this isolation. Feeling joy in their voice, but not being there to embrace or see how they differ from year to year is a severe test for every parent and grandfather. Even then, however, their love and voice become my greatest strength. They are the reason I have to stay strong and dignified to the end!

RTK: How would you explain this time in your life to your grandchildren or children?

Krasniqi: If I were to confess to my descendants this chapter of life, I would show them that the quest for freedom is a subliminal mission where the price paid is measured by our own destiny and our being. It requires sacrifice, endurance, and steadfast loyalty to the people. This period is part of the long and difficult journey for Kosovo freedom, a testimony that protection of history and our collective right requires even this sacrifice, and I hope it will be the last.

I want my children and grandchildren to realize that the freedom they enjoy today did not come automatically, its price continues to be paid. My message to them is clear: not selling their soul to the devil, no matter what price or pressures they may have. This time of the distance shall pass away: but that which remaineth for ever is the dignity and the pure name which we leave for them. Freedom, honor, and the right of a nation to live free is worth any sacrifice. I want them to grow up free and to know with full conviction that their grandfather, even behind these walls, was completely calm because he carried out his highest assignment with the country!

RTK: If you could address international leaders directly, what would you say?

Krasniqi: Initially, I would express my deepest gratitude for world leaders who, at the most difficult time for the people of Kosovo, lined up on the side of freedom and helped free our country. The people of Kosovo will always remember that historical and human support.

While today's world leaders would call on them to stand up for the values and heritage of their ancestors, those who believed that the people of Kosovo deserved freedom, justice and dignity. Today, this heritage is well protected by supporting Kosovo towards a broader international recognition, because the full membership of our state in Euro-Atlantic structures is the best evidence that their alignment with us was a triumph of justice!

RTK: Has this period changed as a father and as a human?

Krasniqi: I know what prison is. As I said in my final address, I am now in the 16th year of prison. I spent over 10 years in prison under the Serbian regime, experiencing imprisonment and torture during some of the darkest years of our people. Those experiences leave clues that never completely hide. However, difficult experiences either break as a human or strengthen your faith in dignity, justice, and freedom. I chose not to give up my beliefs then, and I will not give up now.

No prison is easy. Family separation, uncertainty, and the weight of charges have become very heavy. However, this time of isolation, beyond pain, has forgiven me the great joy of life - I have become a grandfather four times. Of course, experiencing the birth of grandchildren, engagements, and marriages of children from a distance from the Netherlands is not easy for any parent or grandfather. But we're used to paying the price of our national processes even with family separation.

After all that many Kosovars went through during the war years, I have learned the importance of patience, discipline, and internal strength. What gives me strength today is the belief that the truth matters, that history cannot be hidden or otherwise, and that future generations must live in a Kosovo where no one can be persecuted, abused or denied his rights again.

RTK: Is there anything you value more today than ever before?

Krasniqi: The isolation strips you of material things and forces you back to the essence of existence. Today, more than ever before, I value two things that cannot be bought at nothing - time and inner freedom. When you are closed, you realize how precious every minute is spent with loved ones, near family, children, and grandchildren. Time that we lose sight of freedom here takes another weight.

I appreciate every simple human memory, every conversation without rules and every walk under the open sky without walls around me. I also value peace with myself and purity of conscience. In here you realize that true freedom is not only physical; if your mind and soul are free, the walls lose their power!

RTK: If you could take one day back from your life, which would you choose?

Krasniqi: Without any doubt, I would return to the day of Kosovo's liberation and relive that moment when our country finally took a free breath. Not because all the suffering ended there, but because the sacrifices, pain, and hope of all generations finally took place. Because that was when our people were freed from oppression and dignity returned to our lives!