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President Hashim Thaci has denied the crimes, which are said to have taken place in connection with the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia in the late 1990s.
According to a special prosecutor in The Hague, he is guilty of almost 100 murders, torture and enforced disappearances. A 10-point indictment has been filed in court, but further details about the alleged war crime are unknown. The investigation into the Kosovo war has been underway for a long time, writes the BBC.
Thaci announced that he would resign at a press conference on Thursday.
“To protect the integrity of Kosovo, the people of Kosovo, and to respect common partnership at the international level, I am resigning today as President of the Republic of Kosovo,” he said.
Several accused of war crimes in Kosovo
Kosovo declared its independence in 2008, but it has yet to be recognized by much of the world, including Serbia. Sweden is one of 98 of the 193 UN member states that have recognized the country.
More than 10,000 people lost their lives during the War of Independence. Serbia agreed to withdraw its troops in 1999 following NATO intervention.
President Hashim Thaci led the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, which is seen as a hero by large sections of the population, according to the BBC. In 2008, he assumed the post of Prime Minister and has also been Minister for Foreign Affairs.
– The accusation against me and my fellow warriors is a small price for the freedom of the country and the people. Many gave their lives for freedom and I am proud to have been a soldier in the Kosovo Liberation Army, Thaci says.
On Wednesday, Jakup Krasniqi, the former president of the Kosovo president, was also arrested on suspicion of war crimes. Last year, the country’s prime minister, Ramush Haradinaj, also resigned following accusations of war crimes.
