Hashim Thaci, indicted last month for alleged war crimes committed during the Kosovo war for independence from Serbia, will go to the Hague next week
Kosovo President Hashim Thaci will go to The Hague on Monday to be interviewed by international war crimes prosecutors.
Thaci was a top commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, which fought a guerrilla war for independence from Serbia in the late 1990s. He announced his appearance on his Facebook page on Wednesday.
A special international court has indicted Thaci and other former fighters for alleged war crimes by the KLA, including murder, kidnapping and torture. Thaci has denied the charges.
“While my compatriots as well as me will face international justice with dignity and integrity, I call upon you to stand united in dealing with the challenges that our country is facing,” he said on Facebook.
A pretrial judge in the Kosovo Specialist Chambers has yet to decide whether to put Thaci and the others on trial or throw out the case.
Thaci has told Kosovars that if he is tried, he will “will immediately resign as your president and face the accusations.”
Thaci’s indictment forced the cancellation of last month’s White House peace talks between Kosovar and Serbian leaders.
Serbia has refused to recognize an independent Kosovo. NATO peacekeepers remain in Kosovo to prevent tension between the two sides from exploding into violence.
