Threats should be stopped

STATEMENT OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN DEFENSE OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION:
Threats should be stopped
Prishtina, January 8, 2011: The above mentioned organizations of civil society are concerned about hate-encouriging statements of representatives of the Association of Veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army against public personalities. In the series of attacks, this association has targeted a day earlier a political leader and journalist Halil Matoshi recently.

By accusing without any grounded reason and blacken the critical voices in Kosovo society, whoever they are journalists or politicians, people who speak on behalf of KLA veterans, they impaire any public debate, and at the same time they impair the project of the liberation of Kosovo itself and the image of our country. The language of threats blackens the noble idea of the liberation of Kosovo. We must pay attention to our common values from becoming an instrument of daily politics and narrow personal interests, which depics a bad image over the unprecedented commitment of many KLA fighters.
Civil society demands institutions to condemn the irresponsible behavior of the head of the Association of KLA Veterans. We also, ask the institutions of Kosovo and the European Union mission (EULEX) and accredited diplomats in Prishtina to be engaged strongly in defense of free speech, which is a prerequisite for the further democratization of our society.

Civil society also condemns any attempt to acquire with a bad purpose of merits of liberation of Kosovo. Kosovo independence and freedom are the result of long efforts of several generations of this country. Aims for privatization and monopolization of the fight for freedom are extremely harmful for the European future of Kosovo.
We support everyone’s right to speak freely and critically, but we are against the misuse of free speech and personal attacks to kill criticism.