Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci on Monday pleaded not guilty to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity at a trial in a special court in The Hague, where protesters rallied outside in support of the leader formerly feted by the West.

The 10 charges of persecution, murder, torture and forced disappearance of people stem from the 1998-99 insurgency that eventually brought independence from Serbia and made him a hero among many compatriots.

Thaci and three co-defendants, all principle leaders of the KLA guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and later in peacetime politics, all pleaded not guilty shortly after hearings got underway.

"I understand the indictment and I am fully not guilty," Thaci, 54, said in court. Dressed in a dark pinstripe suit, he looked pale and grayer after two years in detention.

More than 13,000 people, the majority of them members of Kosovo's 90% ethnic Albanian majority, are believed to have died during the insurgency, when it was still a province of Serbia under then-strongman president Slobodan Milosevic.

The trial, conducted by international judges and prosecutors, began with opening statements by the prosecution followed by defence lawyers and a representative of Kosovo's war Victims Council over the ensuing three days.

In the Hague, protesters carried banners bearing Thaci's image. Another protest in Kosovo on Sunday attracted thousands of supporters.

Thaci resigned as president shortly after his indictment in 2020 and was transferred to detention in The Hague.

The defendants targeted political opponents, ethnic Serbs and Roma, during and just after the conflict, prosecutor Alex Whiting said in an opening statement. Prosecutors said there were hundreds of detainees held across Kosovo in terrible conditions and over 100 were murdered. Most victims were Kosovo Albanians.

"Why the crimes were committed? The evidence will show to gain power," Whiting said.

The four defendants are charged with participating in a "joint criminal enterprise ... that carried out widespread or systematic attacks" on KLA opponents.

TRIAL COULD LAST YEARS

The trial is likely to be lengthy as prosecutors said they would need two years to present their evidence.

During his time as a KLA leader and a prominent politician, Thaci worked closely with many Western leaders. Joe Biden, when he was U.S. vice president, called him "the George Washington of Kosovo" and Thaci was en route to a meeting at Donald Trump's White House when his indictment was announced.

The trial began two weeks after the world's permanent war crimes tribunal, the International Criminal Court (ICC), also based in the Hague, issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, for the alleged crime of deporting Ukrainian children.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers, seated in the Netherlands and staffed by international judges and lawyers, was set up in 2015 to handle cases under Kosovo law against ex-KLA guerrillas.

Many Kosovars believe that the tribunal is biased against the KLA and interested in denigrating its record in paving the way to liberation of the ethnic-Albanian majority region from repressive Serbian rule.

The court was created separately from the U.N. tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), also held in the Hague, which tried and convicted mainly Serbian officials for war crimes in the Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo conflicts.

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Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci on Monday pleaded not guilty to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity at a trial in a special court in The Hague, where protesters rallied outside in support of the leader formerly feted by the West.

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci on Monday pleaded not guilty to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity at a trial in a special court in The Hague, where protesters rallied outside in support of the leader formerly feted by the West. The 10 charges of persecution, murder, torture and forced disappearance of people stem from the 1998-99 insurgency that eventually brought independence from Serbia and made him a hero among many compatriots. Thaci and three co-defendants, all principle leaders of the KLA guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and later in peacetime politics, all pleaded not guilty shortly after hearings got underway. "I understand the indictment and I am fully not guilty," Thaci, 54, said in court. Dressed in a dark pinstripe suit, he looked pale and grayer after two years in detention. More than 13,000 people, the majority of them members of Kosovo's 90% ethnic Albanian majority, are believed to have died during the insurgency, when it was still a province of Serbia under then-strongman president Slobodan Milosevic. The trial, conducted by international judges and prosecutors, began with opening statements by the prosecution followed by defence lawyers and a representative of Kosovo's war Victims Council over the ensuing three days. In the Hague, protesters carried banners bearing Thaci's image. Another protest in Kosovo on Sunday attracted thousands of supporters. Thaci resigned as president shortly after his indictment in 2020 and was transferred to detention in The Hague. The defendants targeted political opponents, ethnic Serbs and Roma, during and just after the conflict, prosecutor Alex Whiting said in an opening statement. Prosecutors said there were hundreds of detainees held across Kosovo in terrible conditions and over 100 were murdered. Most victims were Kosovo Albanians. "Why the crimes were committed? The evidence will show to gain power," Whiting said. The four defendants are charged with participating in a "joint criminal enterprise ... that carried out widespread or systematic attacks" on KLA opponents. TRIAL COULD LAST YEARS The trial is likely to be lengthy as prosecutors said they would need two years to present their evidence. During his time as a KLA leader and a prominent politician, Thaci worked closely with many Western leaders. Joe Biden, when he was U.S. vice president, called him "the George Washington of Kosovo" and Thaci was en route to a meeting at Donald Trump's White House when his indictment was announced. The trial began two weeks after the world's permanent war crimes tribunal, the International Criminal Court (ICC), also based in the Hague, issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, for the alleged crime of deporting Ukrainian children. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers, seated in the Netherlands and staffed by international judges and lawyers, was set up in 2015 to handle cases under Kosovo law against ex-KLA guerrillas. Many Kosovars believe that the tribunal is biased against the KLA and interested in denigrating its record in paving the way to liberation of the ethnic-Albanian majority region from repressive Serbian rule. The court was created separately from the U.N. tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), also held in the Hague, which tried and convicted mainly Serbian officials for war crimes in the Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo conflicts. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci pleads not guilty to war crimes

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, a wartime hero turned politician, was arrested and transferred to the detention center of the Kosovo Tribunal in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Thursday to face charges of war crimes.

Thaci had resigned with immediate effect earlier in the day after learning that the tribunal had confirmed a war crimes indictment against him.

Thaci and three other former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) are accused of overseeing illegal detention facilities where the movement`s opponents were kept in inhumane conditions, tortured and sometimes killed.

Thaci has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. He told a news conference in the Kosovo capital Pristina that he felt his resignation was necessary "to protect the integrity of the state".

Thaci arrived at Pristina's military airport in the afternoon and was flown to The Hague, where he was taken into custody by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.

The move could bring political instability to Kosovo, a young democracy where the 52-year-old former guerrilla became the first prime minister in 2008 and was elected president in 2016.

Prosecutors in July said they 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.

Thaci, a US-backed national hero, embarked on his political career after leading the KLA`s battle against forces under late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic.

Ties with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump deepened in September, when Kosovo and Serbia signed an economic relations deal at the White House.

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.

The tribunal was set up in 2015 to handle cases relating to the war that led to Kosovo`s independence from Serbia a decade later in 2008. The court is governed by Kosovo law but staffed by international judges and prosecutors.

Anger in Kosovo

Many in Kosovo oppose the war crimes court and see the KLA commanders as heroes.

"I think a big injustice is being committed here by putting on trial our liberators," economist Fejzullah Ibrahimi told Reuters at a market in Pristina.

NATO bombed Belgrade in 1999 with U.S. support to halt the killings and expulsions of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo by Serb forces.

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International said the indictment against Thaci gave hope to thousands of victims of the war "who have waited for more than two decades to find out the truth about the horrific crimes."

In Belgrade, lawmaker Milovan Drecun who is chairman of the Serbian parliamentary committee for Kosovo said the indictment proved that "establishing the truth about war crimes of the KLA and punishing those responsible is an irreversible process."

In July, Thaci met the prosecutors in The Hague to discuss the allegations against him.

Another three Kosovo politicians and former KLA members - Rexhep Selimi, a deputy in the Kosovo parliament, Kadri Veseli, the president of Thaci`s Kosovo Democratic Party, and veteran Kosovo politician Jakup Krasniqi - were transferred to The Hague on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity on Wednesday and Thursday, the tribunal said.

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, a wartime hero turned politician, was arrested and transferred to the detention center of the Kosovo Tribunal in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Thursday to face charges of war crimes.

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, a wartime hero turned politician, was arrested and transferred to the detention center of the Kosovo Tribunal in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Thursday to face charges of war crimes. Thaci had resigned with immediate effect earlier in the day after learning that the tribunal had confirmed a war crimes indictment against him. Thaci and three other former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) are accused of overseeing illegal detention facilities where the movement`s opponents were kept in inhumane conditions, tortured and sometimes killed. Thaci has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. He told a news conference in the Kosovo capital Pristina that he felt his resignation was necessary "to protect the integrity of the state". Thaci arrived at Pristina's military airport in the afternoon and was flown to The Hague, where he was taken into custody by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. The move could bring political instability to Kosovo, a young democracy where the 52-year-old former guerrilla became the first prime minister in 2008 and was elected president in 2016. Prosecutors in July said they 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. Thaci, a US-backed national hero, embarked on his political career after leading the KLA`s battle against forces under late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. Ties with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump deepened in September, when Kosovo and Serbia signed an economic relations deal at the White House. 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. The tribunal was set up in 2015 to handle cases relating to the war that led to Kosovo`s independence from Serbia a decade later in 2008. The court is governed by Kosovo law but staffed by international judges and prosecutors. Anger in Kosovo Many in Kosovo oppose the war crimes court and see the KLA commanders as heroes. "I think a big injustice is being committed here by putting on trial our liberators," economist Fejzullah Ibrahimi told Reuters at a market in Pristina. NATO bombed Belgrade in 1999 with U.S. support to halt the killings and expulsions of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo by Serb forces. Human rights watchdog Amnesty International said the indictment against Thaci gave hope to thousands of victims of the war "who have waited for more than two decades to find out the truth about the horrific crimes." In Belgrade, lawmaker Milovan Drecun who is chairman of the Serbian parliamentary committee for Kosovo said the indictment proved that "establishing the truth about war crimes of the KLA and punishing those responsible is an irreversible process." In July, Thaci met the prosecutors in The Hague to discuss the allegations against him. Another three Kosovo politicians and former KLA members - Rexhep Selimi, a deputy in the Kosovo parliament, Kadri Veseli, the president of Thaci`s Kosovo Democratic Party, and veteran Kosovo politician Jakup Krasniqi - were transferred to The Hague on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity on Wednesday and Thursday, the tribunal said.

Kosovo President Thaci arrested, moved to The Hague to face war crimes charges

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci resigned with immediate effect on Thursday after learning that the Kosovo war crimes tribunal had confirmed his indictment for war crimes.

It comes as a dramatic downfall for a politician who has dominated the former Serbian province for over a decade.

The 52-year-old said he would step down to appear before the court after it confirmed an indictment&nbsp;against him dating back to the 1990s conflict with Serbia, when Thaci was political chief of Kosovo's rebel army.&nbsp;

"I will not allow under any circumstances that I appear before court as the president of the Republic of Kosovo. Therefore, in order to protect the integrity of the office of the president and the country, as well as the dignity of the citizens, I resign from the position of president of the Republic of Kosovo," Thaci told a press conference in the capital Pristina.

He has long insisted on his innocence in a war that most people in Kosovo, which is home mainly to ethnic Albanians, consider a "just" struggle for their independence from Serbian oppression.&nbsp;

"These are not easy moments for me and my family, and for those who have supported and believed in me in the past three decades of our struggle for freedom, independence and nation-building," Thaci added.&nbsp;

In June, prosecutors accused him of ten counts of crimes including charges of murder, enforced disappearance of persons, persecution, and torture.

Thaci did not say which specific charges had been confirmed, while the prosecutors declined to comment.&nbsp;

Set up with EU-backing in 2015, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) operates under Kosovo law but is based in The Hague to protect witnesses from intimidation in a society where many former rebel commanders still dominate politics.

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Kosovo President Hashim Thaci resigned with immediate effect on Thursday after learning that the Kosovo war crimes tribunal had confirmed his indictment for war crimes.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci resigned with immediate effect on Thursday after learning that the Kosovo war crimes tribunal had confirmed his indictment for war crimes. It comes as a dramatic downfall for a politician who has dominated the former Serbian province for over a decade. The 52-year-old said he would step down to appear before the court after it confirmed an indictment against him dating back to the 1990s conflict with Serbia, when Thaci was political chief of Kosovo's rebel army. "I will not allow under any circumstances that I appear before court as the president of the Republic of Kosovo. Therefore, in order to protect the integrity of the office of the president and the country, as well as the dignity of the citizens, I resign from the position of president of the Republic of Kosovo," Thaci told a press conference in the capital Pristina. He has long insisted on his innocence in a war that most people in Kosovo, which is home mainly to ethnic Albanians, consider a "just" struggle for their independence from Serbian oppression. "These are not easy moments for me and my family, and for those who have supported and believed in me in the past three decades of our struggle for freedom, independence and nation-building," Thaci added. In June, prosecutors accused him of ten counts of crimes including charges of murder, enforced disappearance of persons, persecution, and torture. Thaci did not say which specific charges had been confirmed, while the prosecutors declined to comment. Set up with EU-backing in 2015, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) operates under Kosovo law but is based in The Hague to protect witnesses from intimidation in a society where many former rebel commanders still dominate politics.

Kosovo President Thaci resigns after being indicted over war crimes

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Former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci pleads not guilty to war crimes

Kosovo President Thaci arrested, moved to The Hague to face war crimes charges

Kosovo President Thaci resigns after being indicted over war crimes