Serbia "won't rest or retreat" on Kosovo organ probe

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic addressed on Thursday in New York the United Nations Security Council session on Kosovo. He asked for support to Serbia's formal proposal for investigation of the human organs trafficking allegations. Serbia "won't rest or retreat" on Kosovo organ probe Jeremic noted in his address that "no existing institution can either conduct a comprehensive investigation, or ensure the cooperation of all concerned". "Only a mechanism created by the Security Council can do that - and without it, any number of alleged participants in the human organs trafficking criminal conspiracy could remain beyond reach," said the minister. A report filed by Council of Europe Rapporteur Dick Marty in late 2010 named former members of the ethnic Albanian KLA as perpetrators of atrocities in Kosovo and northern Albania in 1999 and 2000. The victims are thought to have been kidnapped Serb and other civilians. Jeremic told the council that "justice would be ill-served should anyone implicated in this heinous endeavor not answer for what he did because of mandate or jurisdictional limitations," adding that "we ask for nothing more, and have no moral right to settle for anything less". "If all investigations into war crimes committed by Serbs received mandates from this body, then why is it that investigating war crimes committed against Serbs should not take place under the auspices of the Security Council as well?," Serbia's foreign minister wondered. He also urged that "no suspected war criminals in the Balkans should ever enjoy any sort of privileges, immunities, or protections". "On behalf of my nation," he said in his address, "I appeal to the Security Council to support our plea to thoroughly investigate allegations of the harvesting and smuggling of organs of innocent Serbian civilians." "We will not rest or retreat until the full truth about what happened is uncovered. This is our solemn obligation to all the victims of this terrible inhumanity, and to their families. We shall not let them down," said Jeremic, added that this was also a part of the reconciliation process and a prerequisite to establishing a lasting peace between Serbs and Albanians. Jeremic stated that a statement made by the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, that it has the capacity, the expertise, the location, and the jurisdiction to head the investigation was "factually incorrect". He said the mission had a mandate to operate only in Kosovo, while "the alleged criminal trail leads not only to a number of European countries, but also into parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East". He also mentioned the Medicus Case, to say that it involved "another criminal conspiracy to source human organs for illicit transplant, and mirrors in many ways the KLA-led organs trafficking operation." "While EULEX has been able to indict a number of ethnic-Albanians on various charges, two of the ringleaders-both foreigners-have fled Kosovo, and cannot be extradited. Therefore, even if all the defendants currently in the custody of EULEX are convicted, justice will only partially be served." Jeremic told the council that while EULEX "cannot conduct a comprehensive investigation on its own, it should play a crucial role in uncovering the truth", but also urged the EU mission to "assure its full statutory independence from the ethnic-Albanian institutions", and provide "an effective witness protection program". Addressing the ongoing Belgrade-Pristina talks, the minister said that "Serbia remains strongly committed to these talks, and will continue to offer multiple proposals for each topic", expressing belief that the UN needs to be present during the negotiation sessions. "Let me underline how critically important it is that no one tries to alter realities on the ground unilaterally," stressed Jeremic, adding that the province's ethnic-Albanian authorities "repeatedly sought to extend the reach of their Pristina-based institutions to North Kosovo against the will of the local (mostly Serb) population, including multiple attempts to deploy heavily-armed special police units". He quoted the UN secretary-general's report that was on the agenda of the session as stating that the Serb community there perceives these provocations "as not being dictated by rule of law considerations but, rather, as being intended to intimidate the local population and impose Pristina structures upon them without their consent." The foreign minister also quoted EUROPOL's Organized Crime Threat Assessment which identifies Kosovo as a major European organized crime hub, and states that ethnic-Albanian groups "remain the most prominent in trafficking heroin to and within the EU". Turning to the issue of Serbia's heritage in Kosovo, he said the country appreciated UNMIK's role in facilitating UNESCO's activities in the province, as well as the work of the Council of Europe-led Reconstruction and Implementation Commission. "Orthodox (Serb) churches and graveyards continue to be desecrated, as the report indicates, with arrests for attacks on places that represent the core of Serbian national identity remaining few and far between. This unfortunately indicates the preponderance of a culture of impunity that tolerates extremism and hate crimes," stated Jeremic. He mentioned the cathedral of the Holy Virgin of Ljeviska, located in the center of the ancient Serbian capital of Prizren - a structure that is on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger following the March 2004 pogrom. "Nevertheless, it has remained a target for extremists," said Jeremic. "Viewed in this light, KFOR's ongoing commitment to maintain a static presence at some of our most important holy sites is absolutely critical. These include the Devic monastery, as well as the Visoki Decani monastery and the Patriarchate of Pec - both of which remain on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger. Given the rising tide of tension in Prizren, we also call on KFOR to redeploy a guard unit to the cathedral of the Holy Virgin of Ljeviska," the minister concluded. Vuk Jeremic (Beta, file)

Serbia "won't rest or retreat" on Kosovo organ probe

Jeremić noted in his address that "no existing institution can either conduct a comprehensive investigation, or ensure the cooperation of all concerned".

"Only a mechanism created by the Security Council can do that - and without it, any number of alleged participants in the human organs trafficking criminal conspiracy could remain beyond reach," said the minister.

A report filed by Council of Europe Rapporteur Dick Marty in late 2010 named former members of the ethnic Albanian KLA as perpetrators of atrocities in Kosovo and northern Albania in 1999 and 2000. The victims are thought to have been kidnapped Serb and other civilians.

Jeremić told the council that "justice would be ill-served should anyone implicated in this heinous endeavor not answer for what he did because of mandate or jurisdictional limitations," adding that "we ask for nothing more, and have no moral right to settle for anything less".

"If all investigations into war crimes committed by Serbs received mandates from this body, then why is it that investigating war crimes committed against Serbs should not take place under the auspices of the Security Council as well?," Serbia's foreign minister wondered.

He also urged that "no suspected war criminals in the Balkans should ever enjoy any sort of privileges, immunities, or protections".

"On behalf of my nation," he said in his address, "I appeal to the Security Council to support our plea to thoroughly investigate allegations of the harvesting and smuggling of organs of innocent Serbian civilians."

"We will not rest or retreat until the full truth about what happened is uncovered. This is our solemn obligation to all the victims of this terrible inhumanity, and to their families. We shall not let them down," said Jeremić, added that this was also a part of the reconciliation process and a prerequisite to establishing a lasting peace between Serbs and Albanians.

Jeremić stated that a statement made by the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, that it has the capacity, the expertise, the location, and the jurisdiction to head the investigation was "factually incorrect".

He said the mission had a mandate to operate only in Kosovo, while "the alleged criminal trail leads not only to a number of European countries, but also into parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East".

He also mentioned the Medicus Case, to say that it involved "another criminal conspiracy to source human organs for illicit transplant, and mirrors in many ways the KLA-led organs trafficking operation."

"While EULEX has been able to indict a number of ethnic-Albanians on various charges, two of the ringleaders-both foreigners-have fled Kosovo, and cannot be extradited. Therefore, even if all the defendants currently in the custody of EULEX are convicted, justice will only partially be served."

Jeremić told the council that while EULEX "cannot conduct a comprehensive investigation on its own, it should play a crucial role in uncovering the truth", but also urged the EU mission to "assure its full statutory independence from the ethnic-Albanian institutions", and provide "an effective witness protection program".

Addressing the ongoing Belgrade-Priština talks, the minister said that "Serbia remains strongly committed to these talks, and will continue to offer multiple proposals for each topic", expressing belief that the UN needs to be present during the negotiation sessions.

"Let me underline how critically important it is that no one tries to alter realities on the ground unilaterally," stressed Jeremić, adding that the province's ethnic-Albanian authorities "repeatedly sought to extend the reach of their Priština-based institutions to North Kosovo against the will of the local (mostly Serb) population, including multiple attempts to deploy heavily-armed special police units".

He quoted the UN secretary-general's report that was on the agenda of the session as stating that the Serb community there perceives these provocations "as not being dictated by rule of law considerations but, rather, as being intended to intimidate the local population and impose Priština structures upon them without their consent."

The foreign minister also quoted EUROPOL's Organized Crime Threat Assessment which identifies Kosovo as a major European organized crime hub, and states that ethnic-Albanian groups "remain the most prominent in trafficking heroin to and within the EU".

Turning to the issue of Serbia's heritage in Kosovo, he said the country appreciated UNMIK's role in facilitating UNESCO's activities in the province, as well as the work of the Council of Europe-led Reconstruction and Implementation Commission.

"Orthodox (Serb) churches and graveyards continue to be desecrated, as the report indicates, with arrests for attacks on places that represent the core of Serbian national identity remaining few and far between. This unfortunately indicates the preponderance of a culture of impunity that tolerates extremism and hate crimes," stated Jeremić.

He mentioned the cathedral of the Holy Virgin of Ljeviška, located in the center of the ancient Serbian capital of Prizren - a structure that is on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger following the March 2004 pogrom. "Nevertheless, it has remained a target for extremists," said Jeremić.

"Viewed in this light, KFOR's ongoing commitment to maintain a static presence at some of our most important holy sites is absolutely critical. These include the Devič monastery, as well as the Visoki Dečani monastery and the Patriarchate of Pec - both of which remain on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger. Given the rising tide of tension in Prizren, we also call on KFOR to redeploy a guard unit to the cathedral of the Holy Virgin of Ljeviška," the minister concluded.