Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci has defended the beating of a young man by his bodyguards on Wednesday, and has threatened former Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
In an interview for T7 TV, Thaci said the person shouting “thieves” during his press conference had tried to attack him.
While the media revealed that the person, Veron Hasani, is an activist of Kosovo’s largest party Vetevendosje, there have been no reports from journalists on the ground regarding any attempt to attack the President. The young man is heard in a video-recording shouting “thieves” twice before being stormed and beaten by bodyguards outside the garden of the President’s building.
“I haven’t watched the video-recording, but tolerance towards insults and physical attacks will be zero. I think they [bodyguards] have done their professional job,” Thaci said, adding that “no one has the right to put at risk the president or his press conference.”
The President went on to warn against future attempts to attack him, and threaten former Prime Minister Albin Kurti and leader of Vetevendosje.
“Kurti must keep in mind that he won’t be allowed to provoke, there will be zero tolerance towards him,” Thaci warned.
“Whoever plans to strike me, I will strike first,” the President concluded in more general terms.
