For 13 years, Hashim Thaci held some form of power in Kosovo. Today, he resigned as president after officially being indicted for war crimes.

Here's my story for @POLITICOEurope, and below I'll explain details of the indictment that was just published https://www.politico.eu/article/hashim-thaci-quits-as-kosovo-president-over-war-crimes-indictment/

Hashim Thaci, who was friendly with many European leaders and fostered close ties to figures like Clinton and Biden, is charged with carrying out widespread and systemic attacks against the civilian population during the conflict in Kosovo as part of a Joint Criminal Enterprise.

The crimes were intended to exert pressure on the victims, their families, and wider communities if they were seen to be interfering with enforcing absolute unity behind the Kosovo Liberation Army, a guerilla force Thaci was a part of during the conflict.

The goal was to gain and exercise control over all of Kosovo. Those considered to be their opponents were individuals thought to have collaborated with the institutions of former Yugoslavia, ethnic minorities such as Serbs and Roma & supporters of the Democratic League of Kosovo.

Thaci is liable for the crimes in the indictment because of either: 1) involvement in the preparation or execution of crimes, 2) presence at locations where crimes were committed, 3) receipt of information about the crimes, 4) their personal observation of evidence of the crimes.

"Persons were transferred to and from one or more detention sites within Kosovo or between Albania and Kosovo... Detainees were restrained, held under guard, in locked quarters, and in coercive circumstances and subjected to inhumane acts, cruel treatment, and torture."

Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi are charged with *six* counts of war crimes and *four* counts of crimes against humanity. For more, here's the entire indictment: https://repository.scp-ks.org/LW/Published/Filing/0b1ec6e98037f0e4/ANNEX%203%20to%20Submission%20of%20corrected%20and%20public%20redacted%20versions%20of%20confirmed%20Indictment%20and%20related%20requests.pdf