"If the war were still going on, I would be a soldier"/ Selimi: Whenever I return, I will return to a free Kosovo

2026-02-18 15:15:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

"If the war were still going on, I would be a soldier"/ Selimi:

Former KLA founder Rexhep Selimi, in his speech on the last day of the trial, stated that he carried weapons during the war because they were a means of survival.

Selimi said that the KLA was not a political party, but a liberation army. Selimi further stated that if the war were to continue to this day, he would still be a KLA soldier defending the homeland.

Referring to the prosecution's claim, Selimi stated that the SPO is requesting such long sentences that they aim to permanently prevent the return of former KLA leaders to Kosovo.

Selimi stated that the prosecution must understand that if he returns to Kosovo, he will return to a free Kosovo, which he expressed his pride in having conquered and is willing to give his life for the freedom of his homeland.

The former head of the KLA stated that justice that is not based on the truth hurts the victims of the war for the second time.

" Yes, I carried weapons, because they were for survival. We asked for help and weapons from friendly countries. The KLA was not a political party, it was a liberation army. And if the war had continued until today, I would still be a soldier of my homeland, if I had not been killed. I am convinced that we did the right thing. Freedom and democracy are achieved by confronting aggression. That is why NATO supported us. The ZPS in its final file is seeking sentences so long that they aim to permanently prevent us from returning to our country. The prosecution should have understood that whenever I return, I will return to a free Kosovo, for which I am proud to have become its master, for whose freedom I have been and am ready to give my life.

I am convinced that you would also fight for your countries. During war, many things happen, there is fear and pain accumulated over years. War always leaves its consequences and its victims. It is precisely these victims who need justice based on the truth. Justice that is not based on the truth hurts them a second time.

"I am confident that justice and only justice will return us, who are accused here, to our homeland. I thank our fellow citizens who believe in our innocence. Those shackles no longer weigh on Kosovo as much as they did during the time it was under the savage occupation ," said Selimi.