Ljubomir Knezevic, journalist of than Pristina-based daily Jedinstvo, and correspondent of Politika, went missing on this very day exactly 16 years ago in vicinity of Vučitrn/Vushtrri, the town where he used to live with his family. Ever since, there are no traces of him, whereas family and friends, along with associations, are trying to find out about his destiny for 16 years now.
“Another year is passing since my father went missing and no one from authorities ever addressed us in relation with this case,” said Ljubimor’s son Goran to Politika. After we received a decision of the United Nations Human Rights Advisory Panel (HRAP), by which UNMIK should request from EULEX continuation of the investigation of the missing journalist Ljubomir Knezevic, and publicly recognize the responsibility in relation with failures to adequately carry out the investigation, the family hoped that there will be certain shifts in this case. However, that didn’t happen.
Representatives of the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) in Kosovo have acquainted EULEX prosecution with seven cases of missing and killed colleagues, and HRAP decisions and conclusions that no adequate investigations were carried out, what refers to Knezevic’s case too, and that beside the apologies, which should be extended to families, they should also receive and financial compensation due to those failures. The most important thing, however, is that HRAP requested from EULEX, which took over the mandate from UNMIK, to investigate missing and killings, and punish the perpetrators. “They did nothing so far,” said Dragana Bjelica from UNS.
