Ahmeti on the Thaci Verdict: "Unjust and Deeply Disappointing," Calls for Unity
The DUI leader and former NLA political leader reacted immediately after The Hague's verdict on the KLA leadership.
DUI leader Ali Ahmeti was among the first in Macedonia to react to the Hague verdict, calling it "unjust and deeply disappointing" and urging "maturity and unity" in what he described as difficult moments.
"We must not fall into any trap aimed at creating tensions, divisions, or tarnishing the liberation war of the people of Kosovo," Ahmeti wrote on Facebook immediately after the sentencing. He noted that earlier allegations of organ trafficking did not turn into charges in this trial, and that the court had acquitted the defendants of crimes against humanity.
Ahmeti, one of the founders of the Kosovo Liberation Army in 1998-99 and later the political leader of the NLA in Macedonia's 2001 armed conflict, said the defence would continue the legal fight at the Court of Appeals, challenging the trial chamber's findings.
Back in October last year, ahead of the verdict, Ahmeti warned that no one could guarantee people who had fought alongside the defendants would remain calm if the ruling was a conviction, saying groups expressing outrage could emerge.
The verdict against the KLA leadership is not a ruling on Macedonia's own 2001 conflict — these remain separate historical and legal chapters, with no international tribunal trying the Framework Agreement process in Macedonia. Still, Ahmeti's reaction shows the Hague verdict is immediately being read through a domestic lens too, touching on DUI's own political and historical standing.
MKNews Hub · Politics · September 17, 2026