Hashim Thaçi

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Hashim Thaçi (2018)

Hashim Thaçi [ haˈʃim ˈθaʧi ; Pronunciation ? / i ] (born April 24, 1968 in Broćna , Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ) is a Kosovar politician . He was President of the Republic of Kosovo from April 2016 to November 2020 . From 2008 to 2014 he was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo since its declaration of independence . Audio file / audio sample

Thaçi was a co-founder and leader of the paramilitary organization UÇK , which fought for the secession of the country from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the 1998/99 Kosovo war . Between 2000 and 2016 he was chairman of the Partia Demokratike e Kosovës .

Thaçi was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Kosovo war on June 24, 2020 . The special prosecutor at the International Court of Justice in The Hague accuses Thaçi of being responsible for around 100 murders of Kosovar Albanians, Serbs, Roma and members of other ethnic groups and political opponents.

Career up to the presidency

Student leader

Hashim Thaçi studied history at the University of Pristina . In 1989 he was one of the organizers of the Albanian student protests in Kosovo . While working as a student activist until 1991, Thaçi became the first chairman of the Albanian student underground movement at the University of Pristina. In 1992 he first left for Albania . There he worked in nationalist groups that campaigned for the unification of all Albanian settlement areas. In 1993 he was charged with illegal gun possession in Albania.

Thaçi emigrated via Austria to Switzerland , where he enrolled as a student of political science at the University of Zurich . In 1995 he received the status of recognized political refugee in Switzerland . He lived mainly in Dietikon near Zurich and worked as a rail shunter.

UÇK organizer

Hashim Thaçi continued to work in political exile groups in Switzerland, for example since 1993 as a leading member of the nascent “Liberation Army of Kosovo” ( Albanian  Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës ), the UÇK , which carried out the armed uprising against Yugoslavia . From there he organized the smuggling of arms into Kosovo as well as the financing and training of the KLA; while he moved between Switzerland, Albania and Kosovo. For attacks on Yugoslav police units and barracks between 1993 and 1996, a district court in Pristina sentenced him to ten years imprisonment in absentia for terrorist attacks.

During the armed conflict in 1998 he was UÇK commander in the Mališevo / Malisheva region under the code name Gjarpni ("The Snake") . On August 13, 1998, Thaçi was appointed one of the political representatives of the General Staff of the KLA. In the following years he was in fact the political leader of the UÇK. In February 1999 he was wanted for a wanted man for several terrorist attacks on Yugoslav police officers in Drenas .

From the KLA to politics

The United States is considered to be Kosovo's most important ally. In the photo Hashim Thaçi with the then President of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu , and the USA, George W. Bush (2008)

In February 1999, Thaçi led the Kosovar-Albanian delegation to the Rambouillet negotiations with the then UÇK leader Adem Demaçi . During the negotiations, Thaçi was able to prevail against Demaçi - who demanded immediate independence of Kosovo, while Thaçi initially only considered the Serbian withdrawal from Kosovo to be appropriate - within the UÇK, whereupon Demaçi resigned. On April 2, the UÇK appointed him Prime Minister of a transitional government; from this time on, Thaçi was considered the new political leader of the KLA. As such, he also signed the declaration on the disarmament and demobilization of the KLA after the NATO invasion of Kosovo.

From June 1999 until its dissolution in December 1999, Hashim Thaçi described himself as the head of a UÇK-led government in Kosovo - in competition with another Kosovar and a Yugoslav government, none of which were recognized by the UNMIK mission, which is decisive for Kosovo . In contrast to the two other competitors, Hashim Thaçi was able to rely on a broad and largely armed supporters of the former UÇK; many UÇK supporters tried to set up independent regional administrations. From December 1999 he was a member of the Provisional Administrative Council of Kosovo established by UNMIK.

In 1999 the successor organization of the UÇK, the Partia Demokratike e Kosovës (PDK) was founded; Hashim Thaçi has been its chairman since then. In the first elections for the Kosovar parliament on November 17, 2001, the PDK received 25.7 percent of the vote and 26 parliamentary seats and took over the government with Ibrahim Rugovas Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës . After the 2004 elections (28.9 percent and 30 seats), the PDK went into the opposition as the second largest party .

Head of government after the 2007 elections

In the Kosovar parliamentary elections in 2007 , the PDK was the winner with 34 percent of the vote and a change of power took place. Thaçi was elected Prime Minister on January 9, 2008 by the newly constituted parliament. His government announced that it wanted to implement Kosovo's declaration of independence quickly - in the first half of 2008. On February 17, 2008, Thaçi, the then head of state Fatmir Sejdiu , parliamentary president Jakup Krasniqi and many other politicians declared the independence of the Republic of Kosovo on February 17, 2008 in the Kosovar parliament in Pristina. Thaçi, Sejdiu and Krasniqi were the co-signers of the Declaration of Independence .

On October 24, 2010, Hashim Thaçi was re-elected as his party's chairman.

On November 2, parliament overthrew Thaçi's government with a vote of no confidence . It was then dissolved and new elections were held on December 12, 2010 , which, according to the State Electoral Commission, Thaçi was able to clearly win with 33.5 percent of the votes. At the end of February 2011, Thaçis PDK, the AKR led by Behgjet Pacolli and other smaller associations in parliament agreed on a coalition; on February 22nd, parliament elected Thaçi for another second term as prime minister.

Political rapprochement with Serbia

Catherine Ashton , Ivica Dačić and Hashim Thaçi at the 50th Munich Security Conference in February 2014

During his tenure, Hashim Thaçi sought rapprochement with the "warring" neighbor Serbia. On October 22, 2012, Thaçi and the Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić shook hands in Brussels . Dačić did not describe the meeting as a “hidden” recognition of the independence of what he believed to be a “Serbian province”. The meeting was possible in the presence of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy , Catherine Ashton . Another meeting took place in the following weeks, after which the two prime ministers agreed on a road link between the two countries.

Change to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In the regular parliamentary elections in Kosovo in 2014 , the PDK emerged as the strongest force; after lengthy coalition negotiations, an agreement was reached with Isa Mustafas LDK on forming a government; the cabinet was elected in parliament on December 8, 2014. Hashim Thaçi now acted as Foreign Minister under Prime Minister Mustafa until he was to take up the office of President.

Presidency

On April 7, 2016, he was elected President of the Republic of Kosovo by the Parliament of Kosovo for a term of five years .

Charges by the Special Prosecutor of the Kosovo War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague

On June 24, 2020, the Special Prosecutor of the Kosovo War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague ( Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor's Office , it is part of the Kosovar judicial system) brought charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the Kosovo war at the same time an arrest warrant was issued against him. Among other things, he is accused of being responsible for more than 100 murders during the 1999 Kosovo war. In the second week of July 2020, Thaçi appeared before the court in The Hague to face the preliminary lawsuit. In the event that this is officially approved later in the year, Thaçi announced that he will step down as Kosovar president. After the charges were admitted, he resigned on November 5, 2020.

Organized Crime Links Reports

Hashim Thaçi is repeatedly said to have links to organized crime in Kosovo. The New York Times Balkan journalist Chris Hedges accused him, along with two other confidants, of murdering other UÇK leaders and political opponents in 1999. Also Bujar Bukoshi , Prime Minister of the first pacifist -oriented Kosovo government in exile Ibrahim Rugova between 1991 and 2000, said that Thaci "would stop at nothing" to his career's sake. Thaçi and Bukoshi were opponents in Kosovar politics for many years; mutual accusations were on the agenda.

In a report by the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 2005, which the German journalist Jürgen Roth published in Schweizer Weltwoche , Thaçi is described as one of the three key figures who function as a link between organized crime and politics in Kosovo. He controls a significant part of the criminal activities in Kosovo and is the client of a professional killer. During his time as UÇK leader, Thaçi controlled a “security service”, “a criminal network active throughout Kosovo”. In addition, he maintained direct contact with organized crime in the Czech Republic and Albania after the war . According to the BND, Thaçi was involved in extensive drug and arms deals at least in October 2003.

In a two-year investigation by the Council of Europe , led by the Swiss Member of the Council of Europe Dick Marty , Thaçi and other former leaders of the Kosovar Liberation Army UÇK are accused of involvement in organ trafficking in Kosovo and involvement in contract killings and other crimes. The Council of Europe investigation was sparked by similar allegations by former Swiss chief prosecutor of the Hague UN Tribunal, Carla Del Ponte, in 2008.

Thaçi is said to have been the head of a group that allegedly controlled organized crime in the country. Organs were removed from prisoners in one clinic and then sold to foreign clinics on the international black market. The report of the Council of Europe, which appeared two days after Thaçi's re-election in December 2010, is based on intelligence and was rejected by Thaçi himself and his government. In response to the report, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe requested further investigations into evidence of links between organized crime and political circles in Kosovo. The EU called on Marty to provide evidence to support the allegations made in his report.

So far, no investigation or legal proceedings have been initiated against Thaçi in Kosovo . According to the responsible public prosecutor for war crimes , the Serbian judiciary is not planning any indictment against Thaçi on the grounds that Thaçi is not accessible to the Serbian judiciary and that his criminal prosecution would therefore resemble a “political trial”. The Serbian authorities want to help clear up the allegations.

In addition to the EU diplomats, EULEX also asked Marty to present evidence, also in order to be able to initiate a criminal investigation in Kosovo or internationally. Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha also expressed his willingness to work with EULEX and the UN War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague to investigate the allegations made by the Council of Europe in Albania, even though Martys' report was not supported by facts.

In January 2011 Marty responded again to his report and defused his allegations against Thaçi. He did not say that Thaçi was involved in organ trafficking himself, but only from people who were very close to him. Therefore, it is difficult to imagine that Thaçi did not know about it. He also did not speak of hundreds of cases of illegal organ transplants, but "only a handful". Marty also stated that it was not his job to substantiate the allegations. Courts and investigative authorities are responsible for this.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted Marty's report on January 25, 2011 and passed a resolution calling for a serious investigation into the incidents. In April 2014 the Kosovo Parliament passed a resolution that laid the groundwork for the formation of the special court and provides for close cooperation with the EU rule of law mission Eulex and the international justice system. The EU provided around 170 million euros to fund the work of the UÇK tribunal.

Private

Hashim Thaçi is married, has one son and speaks Albanian and Serbo-Croatian as well as German and English .

literature

  • James Pettifer: A Concept for a New Reality - Dialogue with Hashim Thaçi. Pristina 2001

Web links

Commons : Hashim Thaci  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Henry Habegger: Hacim Thaci uncanny proximity to Switzerland. Blick.ch , December 16, 2010, accessed on June 26, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Thaçi rizgjidhet kryetar i PDK-së. Top Channel , October 24, 2010, accessed November 9, 2012 (Albanian).
  3. ↑ Prime Minister Thaci's party is ahead. Frankfurter Rundschau , December 13, 2010, accessed on November 9, 2012 .
  4. ↑ meeting Thaci-Daciq between support and criticism. Albinfo.ch, October 22, 2012, accessed on November 9, 2012 .
  5. ↑ mes / AFP / AP / Reuters: Kosovo's president charged with war crimes. In: Spiegel Online . June 24, 2020, accessed June 24, 2020 .
  6. ↑ Press statement. Kosovo Specialist Chambers & Specialist Prosecutor's Office, June 24, 2020, accessed on June 27, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Setback for the "snake", Spiegel Online from June 25, 2020, accessed on July 18, 2020
  8. ↑ Michael Martens, Vienna: President of Kosovo: Thaçi charged with war crimes . In: FAZ.NET . ISSN  0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed June 26, 2020]).
  9. ↑ Kosovo's President Thaci on the hearing in The Hague, Stern.de of July 13, 2020, accessed on July 18, 2020
  10. ↑ Kosovo: President Hashim Thaci resigns after being charged with war crimes. In: DER SPIEGEL. Retrieved November 5, 2020 .
  11. ↑ Chris Hedges: “Leaders of Kosovo Rebels Tied to Deadly Power Play” , in: The New York Times , June 25, 1999
  12. ^ Jürgen Roth: Rule of Law? D rather not! ( Memento of April 8, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). In: Weltwoche . 43/2005
  13. ↑ Hashim Thaci: Murderer and Organ Dealer? In: Tages-Anzeiger from December 15, 2010.
  14. ↑ «The prisoners begged their tormentors to kill them immediately» in: Tages-Anzeiger of December 15, 2010.
  15. ↑ Kosovo Prime Minister Thaçi is said to be involved in organ mafia in: Spiegel Online from December 15, 2010
  16. ↑ Inhuman treatment of people and illicit trafficking in organs in Kosovo (provisional version) in: Council of Europe , draft resolution and explanatory memorandum by Dick Marty , (English, PDF; 396 kB) of December 12, 2010, accessed on December 19, 2010; Appendix to the report: Map (PDF; 768 kB)
  17. ↑ EU calls for evidence of organ trafficking allegations, Der Standard, accessed on December 15, 2010 ( Memento of December 20, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  18. ^ Council of Europe calls for legal action in: sueddeutsche.de of December 16, 2010.
  19. ↑ PACE Committee calls for investigations into organ trafficking and disappearances in Kosovo and Albania Council of Europe press release of 16 December 2010
  20. ↑ Der Standard: EU demands evidence of organ trafficking allegations, accessed on December 18, 2010 ( Memento of December 17, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  21. ↑ Serbia does not plan to be charged with organ trafficking in: The Standard of December 18, 2010
  22. ↑ Serbia does not want to charge Thaçi with organ trafficking allegations ( memento of April 7, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) in: stern.de of December 18, 2010.
  23. ↑ NZZ: EU mission in Kosovo requires Marty to provide evidence
  24. ↑ NZZ: The NZZ: Albania wants organ trafficking allegations to be examined , December 22, 2010
  25. ↑ Tagesschau.de: What remains of the allegations against Thaci? ( Memento of January 27, 2011 in the Internet Archive ), accessed January 25, 2011; Archive ( Memento from January 27, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  26. ↑ n-tv.de: Organ trafficking allegations against Thaçi , accessed on January 25, 2011.
  27. ↑ Marty's report on the suspected organ trafficking in Kosovo accepted in: Aargauer Zeitung of January 25, 2011.
  28. ↑ http://bazonline.ch/ausland/europa/Die-Kriegsverbrechen-der-Freiheitskaempfer/story/24289303
predecessor Office successor
Agim Çeku Prime Minister of Kosovo
2008-2014 		Isa Mustafa
personal data
SURNAME Thaçi, Hashim
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gjarpni (alias); Snake (alias, German)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Kosovar politician
DATE OF BIRTH April 24, 1968
PLACE OF BIRTH Buroja, Skënderaj Municipality , Yugoslavia