Levizja VETEVENDOSJE! calls upon Fetije Ukaj (who is the sixth lawyer assigned in Albins case) and Ramė Gashi, and on all lawyers in Kosova (including the Bar Association of Kosova), not to attend the forthcoming trial sessions against Albin Kurti. We call on them to act according to their conscience, and to defend the true meaning of justice in Kosova, not the law as defined by UNMIK, as Ferki Xhaferi did yesterday in his act of moral and civil disobedience. Despite the fact that he had to pay a fine of 250 euros and that the political judge Salustro demanded that the Bar Association expel him, Xhaferi refused to defend Albin, an act for which we thank him. When Judge Salustro asked the lawyer Fetije Ukaj to make a choice yesterday between the law and Albin, he was asking her to make a choice between the injustice represented by UNMIKs law, and the justice of Albins principled resistance to that system. Thus we call on you to oppose this international judge who is nothing more than a political judge and contravening professional standards of justice.
By UNMIKs law, Albin Kurti is being tried for his political beliefs. There is no clearer sign of this than the sign outside his door in Prizren prison which states: Albin Kurti: Category A, External. This means that Albin presents a high risk, not to the other prisoners inside the prison, but to people outside of the prison. It is Albins political beliefs which are considered dangerous to UNMIK, not to the people of Kosova. So he was tried in a court yesterday, surrounded by armed international policemen, and with a Romanian police officer sitting next to him.
We repeat Albins call made in September last year, for all lawyers in Kosova to refuse to take part in this political trial, and thus to defend the true meaning of justice in Kosova. We call on you not to surrender to the obvious violation of your personal and professional integrity manifested in Salustros bullying threats. This is a chance for you to demonstrate your independence and your will to work for a better Kosova. Participating in cases motivated by politics and not by the principle of justice, makes you participants in a serious crime being committed against the people of Kosova the violation of their basic rights and freedoms. It gives this trial a false legitimacy. Let us show what this system really stands for: let us make the injustice and oppression visible.
Up to now, in the trial against Albin Kurti six lawyers have been assigned:
1. Ahmet Hasolli who resigned
2. Tomė Gashi after the call that Albin made to the Bar Association and to each lawyer, Tomė Gashi did not agree to defend Albin.
3. Ibrahim Dobruna also did not accept to defend Albin.
4. Fazli Balaj agreed to defend Albin and took part in two sessions. After Albin presentated material as evidence against Balaj, Judge Salustro removed him. Thus, even the infamous Salustro did not want Balaj, even though he was completely on the side of the Judges.
5. Ferki Xhaferi took part in just one session. In the second session he did not accept to take part and as the punishment for this Salustro gave him a 250 euro fine and demanded that the Bar Association expel him as a member. Lėvizja VETĖVENDOSJE! Publically thanked Ferki for this moral disobedience towards the court.
6. Fetije Uka Islami was assigned in place of Ferki Xhaferi.
Following is Albins original call to lawyers made on 30th September 2007:
On this occasion I call on Albanian lawyers to not be my lawyer. I call on them to not defend me and thus not to cooperate in the attack of the court. I call on lawyers to not accept being assigned by the courts of UNMIK in this process against me. A lawyer for me from the court against me is just the mercy of the court. I do not want mercy. Let them seem unmerciful. Because at their core they are. I want justice. But, in order to achieve justice you have to fight them, fighting their injustice to which they have been reduced.
Do we want to be independent or not? So, lets be independent then, by not being obedient to those who are ruling us without accountability, those who by law have no responsibility, those who are not above the law because they are the law. The arbitrariness of the courts combined with the international executive in Kosova has no legitimacy and cannot function without our obedience. So, let us not obey, let us not submit. Yes, lets become independent.
Lėvizja VETĖVENDOSJE!
06.02.2008 |
