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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia insists on independent investigation into human organ trafficking in Kosovo-Metohija

Belgrade, 24 March 2011

President of the Serbian government’s Commission for missing persons Veljko Odalovic said today that Serbia will insist on an independent international investigation into trafficking in organs of the kidnapped and captured Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo-Metohija.

Veljko Odalovic, left, and Mioljub Vitorovic

Author: Fonet

Odalovic told a press conference held at the Media Centre on the anniversary of the NATO bombing, that 12 years had to pass so that a credible institution such as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe could muster strength and admit that horrible crimes were committed against Serbs, Roma, Ashkali and Albanians loyal to the state of Serbia in Kosovo-Metohija after 1999.

He underlined that the 1999 NATO bombing did not solve any problem, but only deepened the tragedy and allowed for the Serbian province to be run by crime rings and the criminals to go unpunished.

The President of the Commission for missing persons said that for the first time the real situation has been described in the Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Council of Europe Dick Marty, as well as powerlessness of the international community which allowed all these crimes to happen because it treated members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) as partners and was operating with them.

The consequence of this was also the disappearance of 1,821 persons, of whom more than 540 Serbs and other non-Albanians are still searched for.

That is why it is necessary to insist on the establishment of an independent body that will conduct an impartial investigation into trafficking in human organs, Odalovic said and underlined that EULEX is not capable of carrying out this investigation.

The investigation conducted by the UNMIK showed that as early as 2003 international representatives were aware of everything that was going on – they knew of the routes for transferring people, dates, vehicles, names of participants in the crime, Odalovic commented and underlined that at that time a lot could have been done.

Pointing out that after so many years the investigation cannot be the same, Odalovic stressed that "it is good that evidence is no longer in the drawer" and that an independent investigation was backed yesterday by the Serbian President and the Russian Prime Minister.

Odalovic expressed his hope that this issue will be on the agenda of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, for which the Serbian side is fully prepared, but the good will of the Albanian side is also required.

Deputy Prosecutor for War Crimes Mioljub Vitorovic said the Prosecutor’s Office for War Crimes tried to compile evidence and provide valid witnesses for the investigation that would be conducted by an independent international body.

He pointed out that, in addition to the Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Council of Europe, there are reliable witnesses and evidence he cannot talk about at this moment.

As long as we are not convinced that the witnesses are well protected we will not give names, just as Dick Marty is not giving them either, Vitorovic stated.

Vitorovic said that he believes that the Albanian and international authorities in Kosovo-Metohija are not able to impartially investigate the trafficking in human organs because if they were, they would have done it by now and there would not be the killing of witnesses.