As the International Day of the Disappeared approaches, EULEX’s Forensic Medicine Team and the Institute of Forensic Medicine (IFM) participated in a joint visit to a site in the municipality of Novi Pazar. This collaborative effort is part of ongoing fieldwork aimed at uncovering the fate of missing persons, organized in coordination with the Red Cross, according to a statement from EULEX. Earlier this morning, the Prime Minister of Kosovo announced the excavation of another site in the same area.
“EULEX Forensic Medicine Team joined counterparts of the Institute of Forensic Medicine (IFM) in a first joint visit to a site in the Municipality of Novi Pazar,” the mission stated, emphasizing the significance of this cooperation.
The visit was also attended by delegations from the Commissions on Missing Persons from both Pristina and Belgrade, as well as representatives from Serbia’s War Crimes Prosecutor’s Office, the Red Cross, and the Kosovo-based NGO Resource Center for Missing Persons.
„We welcome the efforts made by relevant stakeholders to implement the agreed fieldwork plans. The Mission’s forensic experts continue to support their partners at IFM and other relevant institutions in shedding light on the fate of missing persons,“ the EULEX statement added.
The Novi Pazar region and the neighboring Raška area have been the focus of previous excavations over the last decade, targeting potential mass grave sites in Kiževak, Kozarevo, and Štavalj. During the most recent excavations at Kiževak, the remains of nine missing persons were discovered. However, there have been no updates on the outcomes from the other two sites.
According to the Humanitarian Law Center, 6,065 people went missing during and in connection with the Kosovo War between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2000. The latest data from the International Committee of the Red Cross indicates that 1,613 people are still unaccounted for, with research by the Humanitarian Law Center in Serbia and Kosovo revealing at least 23 additional unreported cases.
Among the missing are 1,487 civilians, including 272 elderly individuals over the age of 70, 120 minors under 18, and 72 people with disabilities. The Humanitarian Law Center has also highlighted a significant challenge in the ongoing identification process: blood samples necessary for DNA identification have yet to be collected for over 150 missing persons, and there are insufficient samples for more than 50 others.
Kurti Calls for Serbian Transparency
In a related development, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, addressing a roundtable organized by the Kosovo government ahead of the International Day of the Disappeared, reiterated his call for Serbia to open its archives on crimes committed during the Kosovo War. Kurti emphasized the need for international support in this endeavor.
Kurti asserted that Serbia is refusing to open its archives, alleging that it is continuing the strategy of former President Slobodan Milošević, whose alleged statement was, “No body, no crime.”
He further announced the commencement of another excavation in the Novi Pazar district, specifically at the Kožlje site, stating: “This week, after much effort and engagement by our government commission, preparations have begun for excavations at the Kožlje site between Novi Pazar and Tutin in Serbia. We hope this will not be met with new efforts by the Serbian state to avoid adding other marked sites in Serbia to the agenda.”
Kurti also accused Serbia of withholding information about this site. “We repeat our demand for the opening of archives in Serbia based on the agreement reached on May 2, 2023, in Brussels. We have already sent several official requests for the opening of the archives of the 37th Motorized Brigade of the Yugoslav Army, responsible for many massacres in Kosovo, particularly in the Drenica region.”
He concluded by reaffirming Kosovo’s commitment to seeking justice for the 1,595 individuals who went missing during the war, urging international support to hold those responsible accountable.
13 Locations in Kosovo To Be Searched
Kurti also highlighted the Kosovo government’s dedication to thoroughly investigating all information that could contribute to resolving cases of missing persons.
“According to our government commission, there are around 13 sites within Kosovo’s territory marked for excavation. We continue to support the government’s Commission on Missing Persons and all institutions and mechanisms involved in this process. We also maintain our support for the associations of families of the missing. Kosovo will not stop until the fate of the missing is fully uncovered,” Kurti stated, as reported by the media.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
