Three years ago, when he spoke of the claims that implicated the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in war crimes, former Council of Europe rapporteur Dick Marty raised concerns on how to protect witnesses. He did not trust both international missions present in Kosovo. Marty stated that he will not give any sensitive information, such as the identity of witnesses and their statements, as there is no “absolute guarantee” that the information will remain secret.
Marty, who authored the report about organ trafficking in Kosovo, also spoke about the inability of EULEX and UNMIK to develop instruments to conduct sensitive investigations, such as the protection of witnesses or the prevention of leaked information. Therefore, the Special Investigation Task Force established in 2011 by the EU Council will handle these claims.
In general, protected witnesses have been threatened, attacked and intimidated. One such witness was found dead in Germany. There is also an investigative case revealing their identity on public television. It is precisely the inability of the Kosovar justice institutions to ensure sufficient protection for witnesses. According to a Government source, Europeans insist on the establishment of an ad hoc Tribunal to try the claims about crimes committed in Kosovo as noted in Marty’s report.
