The Bishop of Kosovo, Dodë Gjergji, has called for national unity following the verdicts against former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders, saying the decisions have caused deep disappointment and revived a sense of historical injustice.
In a written statement, Gjergji said the ruling by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers was another reminder of what he described as a continuing “calvary” of historical injustices.
“We have no other choice but to unite in order to convince justice to be just toward us,” Gjergji said.
At the same time, he urged people not to allow pain to overshadow reason or anger to replace wisdom. Any response to the verdicts, he stressed, should remain measured, peaceful and responsible, while challenges to the decisions should be pursued through legal and institutional channels.
“A people’s anger is understandable only when it is transformed into strength to seek truth and justice,” he said.
Gjergji also called on Kosovo’s institutions and political leaders to act responsibly and in coordination, arguing that political divisions should be set aside when issues involving freedom, dignity and historical memory are at stake.
“Today, we must unite as a nation around the truth, our dignity and our responsibility for the future,” he said, adding that Kosovo should preserve the integrity of its struggle for freedom, strengthen ties with countries that supported it during its most difficult years and rebuild trust that has been damaged since liberation.
The bishop emphasized the importance of maintaining Kosovo’s friendships with the countries that stood by it during the war.
Gjergji said the Church could neither judge individuals nor the justice system, but added that it could not remain silent in the face of the situation.
“Our duty is to seek truth without hatred, justice without revenge, and reconciliation without forgetting what is right,” he said.
He concluded by saying that Kosovo does not need more noise, but rather wisdom, unity, resilience and faith.
On September 16, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague handed down first-instance sentences of 25 years each to former President Hashim Thaçi and Jakup Krasniqi, 18 years to Kadri Veseli and 13 years to Rexhep Selimi.
