PRISTINA – Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, a wartime hero turned politician, resigned with immediate effect on Thursday after learning that a tribunal in The Hague had confirmed a war crimes indictment against him.
Thaci said he felt his resignation was necessary “to protect the integrity of the state.”
Prosecutors hold Thaci responsible for nearly 100 murders of civilians during the 1998-99 war when he was a KLA commander who fought the Serbian police and army. He denies any wrongdoing.
The European Union on Thursday welcomed Thaci’s cooperation with the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, where he is expected to come before a pre-trial judge in coming days. (Reuters)
