The president of Kosovo has chosen to step down from his position to answer for war crime charges against him by The Hague. President Hashim Thaci said Thursday that he will be resigning before he travels to the city on the North Sea coast of the western Netherlands.
Thaci has become the latest high-profile target in the ongoing efforts to bring to justice those who were involved in the two-decade conflict that resulted in Kosovo's independence from Serbia. Thaci has been indicted by The Hague on accusations of his involvement in the alleged detentions, killings, mistreatment, and abductions of the opponents of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
During the conflict, Thaci had served as a commander of the KLA. The International Criminal Court alleges that during his time as a senior leader, Thaci was privy to the persecutions of civilians and officials found to be opponents of his group. This included reported incidents that transpired between March 1998 and September 1999.
The court said Thursday that Thaci knew of the atrocities but did nothing to stop them. Thaci, along with other KLA officials, were accused of being responsible for conducting "widespread and systematic attacks against persons suspected of being opposed to the KLA."
In front of reporters in the country's capital city of Pristina, Thaci said that he had chosen to step down from his position to "protect the integrity" of the presidency. He also denied all of the charges brought against him and expressed his willingness to appear in court. The head of the country's parliament, Vjosa Osmani, will be taking over Thaci's responsibilities until a new election is held.
Thaci was elected into the presidency in 2016. Before that, he had taken various political positions within the country's government, becoming a dominant political figure. Following Kosovo's independence from Serbia, Thaci became its first prime minister.
Apart from Thaci, other officials of the KLA were also indicted. Thaci's successor as the head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Kadri Veseli, is also facing charges. Veseli said in a statement that he was ready to face the court to finally put an end to the "false" accusations and "rumors" against him.
