The prosecution of those responsible for crimes against Serbs in Kosovo aggravated by the fact that the suspects were not available to judicial authorities, but also the fact that prosecutors in Serbia were denied access to evidence and witnesses in Kosovo, said the Deputy War Crimes Prosecutor of Serbia Dragoljub Stankovic.
He had informed the committee members of the Assembly of Serbia for Kosovo and Metohija, about the details of the report on the uncovering and prosecution of those responsible for crimes committed against Serbs and other non-Albanians from 1998, which is marked as confidential.
Committee Chairman Milovan Drecun said that such reports are not discussed in sessions open to the public, but that he believes that the topic is very important, which is why he asked the Prosecution to reveal what it can.
Stankovic said, in the Committee, that the prosecution has completed investigations into 14 cases of crimes in Kosovo against 95 suspects, involving more than a hundred victims.
“Unfortunately, the investigations were terminated because the suspects were not available to our judicial authorities, as the Kosovo side does not want to extradite them,” he said.
As one of the biggest problems in the prosecution of those responsible, Serbian deputy prosecutor cited the problem with Interpol warrants, issued by Serbia against all 95 suspects (Kosovo Albanians), and that countries that have recognized Kosovo’s independence are “unwilling” to extradite.
He said that in the case of Orahovac Group, one suspect was extradited to Serbia and in the first instance (before the High Court) released after the Trial Chamber “did not believe the witnesses,” after which he was released and went from Serbia.
In the procedure for the same crime that took place in Kosovo, the two suspects were convicted based on the testimony of these witnesses which, he said Stankovic, “EULEX judges come to believe.”
Dragoljub Stankovic said that the War Crime Prosecution of Serbia has no jurisdiction in to carry out investigations in Kosovo, which, he says, further delays the proceedings.
What even more have complicated the situation, said Stankovic, is the law of the Serbian Government from March 2013, because of which he was returned from Kosovo two times during this year, and that it seems to him that it is about two independent states.
The director of the Office for Missing Persons, Veljko Odalovic said that 346 bodies, belonging to Serbs, were found in mass graves.
“Vow of silence in Kosovo on the crimes against Serbs is a serious problem,” said Odalovic and added that the search is on-going for the bodies of another 522 people.
Deputy Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Zeljko Jovic said that the problem of prosecuting those responsible for crimes requires greater coordination of all institutions.
The session was also attended by the President of the Association of killed, missing and kidnapped Kosovo Serbs Simo Spasic, who pointed out that because of “confidentiality”, families even after 16 years have not come to the truth and justice.
