Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci 'expects' to be acquitted of war crimes by special tribunal

The Hague, Netherlands: Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said Tuesday he expected to be acquitted of war crimes by a special tribunal in The Hague. On the second day of his trial, Thaci said investigations had already removed a “black cloud” after allegations of organ harvesting during the 1998-1999 independence war against Serbia was not included in the indictment against him. The EU-funded court was set up after a 2010 Council of Europe report, which contained allegations that the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) had harvested organs from prisoners. “Now you know that I, the KLA, the people of Kosovo and all Albanians have been acquitted of these accusations. The truth has been told and the black cloud over Kosovo has been lifted,” Thaci told the court. “So, this sacrifice was worth it. I expect to be acquitted of any other charges against me at the end of this process.” Thaci and three other former KLA leaders all pleaded not guilty to crimes against humanity and war crimes as the trial opened at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers on Monday. Thaci is widely seen as a guerilla hero in Kosovo, but prosecutors said he led a campaign of violence by the ethnic Albanian KLA against “collaborators and traitors”. The ex-president added that he wished a series of now-deceased Western political figures who had backed him at the time were still alive to support him in court. These included former US Secretary Madeleine Albright and British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. “They would have testified on my behalf, for what I said and did, during that very important period in the history of the freedom and independence of Kosovo,” said Thaci. The Kosovo War claimed some 13,000 lives. It ended after a NATO bombing campaign forced Serb forces to withdraw. Read all the Latest News, Trending News,  Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.