Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said he would not resign in the wake of an indictment for war crimes and crimes against humanity by The Hague.
“I may have made political mistakes in peace, but war crimes, never!” Thaci told his country during a televised address on Monday, according to Reuters. He added that he would not step aside unless a judge confirmed that he would be put on trial for the alleged crimes.
“I assure you [citizens] again, I will not face justice from this office,” Thaci said. “If the accusation is confirmed, I will immediately resign as your president and face the accusations.”
A White House peace summit that was originally scheduled for Saturday and set to feature top officials from Kosovo and Serbia was postponed late last week after Thaci was indicted. Before its postponement, the meeting was going to continue with Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, but Hoti announced Thursday that he would also not be in attendance.
The Hague has been investigating alleged war crimes that occurred during the late 1990s when Kosovo Liberation Army guerrillas fought against Serbia for control of the small Balkan region. Kosovo later declared independence from Serbia in 2008; however, Serbia does not fully recognize the claim to sovereignty.
“The indictment alleges that Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli and the other charged suspects are criminally responsible for nearly 100 murders,” the Kosovo Specialist Chambers said in a statement.
After the White House summit was canceled, Richard Grenell, the special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations, tweeted that it would be rescheduled.
“Thank you, Prime Minister Hoti. We understand your decision and we look forward to re-scheduling the meeting soon,” Grenell said in response to a tweet from Hoti announcing his inability to attend.
Thank you, Prime Minister Hoti. We understand your decision and we look forward to re-scheduling the meeting soon. https://t.co/BNOygifIyY
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) June 25, 2020
