Six years on, Goraždevac killers still at large

Kosovo Serbs in Gorazdevac, near Pec, in the west of the province, today mark the sixth anniversary of an attack that killed two teenagers. Four Serbs youths were also injured as a group of children and teenagers was spending the day on the bank of the Bistrica River. Six years on, Gorazdevac killers still at large A service was held for the souls of the victims in the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Gorazdevac today. The service was held by Bishop Artemije who told those gathered that the scar inflicted to the children's parents and relatives on this day, six years ago, will never heal. Besides family and friends, the commemoration was also attended by Belgrade City Council Member Darko Bozic and State Secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija Oliver Ivanovic. The crime shocked Serbia and was strongly condemned six years ago by international representatives, but the investigation to find the perpetrators has not yielded any results to date. The Serb enclave children were gunned down with fire from automatic rifles. The shooting came from the direction of the ethnic-Albanian village of Zahac, witnesses said. All in all 90 bullets were fired, instantly killing Igor Jovovic, 19, while Pantelija Dakic, 13, succumbed to his wounds later in hospital. Bogdan Bukumiric, 15, and Marko Bogicevic, 11, were seriously injured, while Dragana Srbljak, 14, and Djordje Ugrenovic, 20, suffered light injuries. UNMIK and KFOR chiefs, representatives of the EU, United States, France, Russia and Kosovo official condemned the crime in Gorazdevac. Days later, on August 17, 2003, fire was again opened at five Serbian children in the center of the enclave, but no one was killed that time. Then UNMIK police chief Stefan Feller stated after the crime that he would "turn every stone to find the child killers". Despite that, and a million euro reward offered by UNMIK, there is still no indictment in the case. The families of the victims blame ethnic Albanians, and say they believe the fact no progress was made in the investigation means that authorities are either inefficient, or are involved in a cover-up. Families visit the graves on Thursday (FoNet) Bogdan Bukumiric fights on One of the survivors of the attack, Bogdan Bukumiric, who was seriously wounded six years ago, said today that he would file a lawsuit at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg against international judiciary in Kosovo, because of the fact no progress has been made in the investigation of the crime. “I will never stop fighting to have child killers brought to justice,” Bukumiric told Tanjug on the anniversary today. Bogdan was only 15 when he was shot from automatic rifle fire while he was playing with his friends on the Bistrica River bank. After a long recovery period, in July 2007, he started writing to international officials in Kosovo, requesting an answer to a single question: “How far did the investigation go and why no indictments against perpetrators have been issued yet?” He has written to former UNMIK chief Joachim Ruecker. On two occasions last February, he wrote to current UNMIK head Lamberto Zannier, and on July 14, he sent his letter to EULEX Chief Yves de Kermabon. Last year, he received Ruecker's reply which, he says, "disturbed him a lot", because it only included information about setting up of a new investigating team from among the Kosovo police and UNMIK, whose aim is to review and check all the evidence and recommend new direction of operation. "This year, on March 30, I received a reply from UNMIK, in which an official person is informing me that they had forwarded my letter to chief prosecutor of EULEX," said Bogdan. "This means that they have practically done nothing, they keeping starting from the beginning,” he continued, underscoring that he has yet to receive a reply from EULEX. "There is only one question I keep asking: who shot at the innocent children while they were playing by the river, who shot at me and my friends, will the terrorists be brought to justice?" Bogdan believes it is "incomprehensible that it was impossible to find criminals who fired 90 bullets at children in broad daylight six years ago, just because the children were of Serb ethnicity". Like most of Serbs in Gorazdevac, Tanjug says, Bukumiric is certain that this is "a conspiracy of silence and solidarity of Albanians, and that without pressure by international institutions, the perpetrators will never be arrested". Bogdan is seen in Belgrade on Wednesday (Tanjug) "Ethnically motivated" "The terrorist attack on children in Gorazdevac six years ago was an ethnically motivated crime, unprecedented anywhere in Europe in modern times," Ministry for Kosovo State Secretary Oliver Ivanovic told Tanjug on Wednesday. He "concluded with regret" that the investigation into the murder of two boys and injuring of four others "is still at the beginning". Ivanovic recalled that the competent Kosovo Albanian institutions, UNMIK police and justice had carried out the investigation and that KFOR experts were also included in the from the beginning. Last year, a working group was set up to reexamine the evidence, but the investigation did not produce any results, said Ivanovic. “It is important to underscore that the Gorazdevac crime was committed in the presence of 40,000 international troops and policemen, which is why excuses cannot be accepted,” said he. “The international community has to understand that there will be no peace or stability if the Serbs continue to be a legitimate target for obtaining some political or material goals. If an Albanian can kill a Serb without any retribution, I believe that this society will not be taking the right direction,” underscored Ivanovic. On Thursday, Ivanovic was quoted as saying that solving this crime will be "a serious test for EULEX", that will either grapple with these issues or "admit its failure". "No progress" Also on Wednesday, Kosovo police, KPS, spokesman Arber Beka said that "no progress was made" in the investigation into the attack on the Serbs six years ago. Beka told Tanjug that gathering of evidence and data began immediately after the attack, which took place on August 13, 2003. He reiterated that more than 75 witnesses and suspects were questioned during the investigation, that more than 100 houses were searched and that seven fire arms that were found during the search, and that no connection was established to the crime in Gorazdevac. “The investigation continued with UNMIK police and a team of investigators. Unfortunately, the perpetrators of the cowardly crime have not been found to date,” the spokesman stated. “There is no doubt that all those familiar with the perpetrator of the crime have decided by now not to speak about it,” said Beka.

Six years on, Goraždevac killers still at large

A service was held for the souls of the victims in the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Goraždevac today.

The service was held by Bishop Artemije who told those gathered that the scar inflicted to the children's parents and relatives on this day, six years ago, will never heal.

Besides family and friends, the commemoration was also attended by Belgrade City Council Member Darko Božič and State Secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija Oliver Ivanović.

The crime shocked Serbia and was strongly condemned six years ago by international representatives, but the investigation to find the perpetrators has not yielded any results to date.

The Serb enclave children were gunned down with fire from automatic rifles. The shooting came from the direction of the ethnic-Albanian village of Zahač, witnesses said.

All in all 90 bullets were fired, instantly killing Igor Jovović, 19, while Pantelija Dakić, 13, succumbed to his wounds later in hospital.

Bogdan Bukumirić, 15, and Marko Bogićević, 11, were seriously injured, while Dragana Srbljak, 14, and Đorđe Ugrenović, 20, suffered light injuries.

UNMIK and KFOR chiefs, representatives of the EU, United States, France, Russia and Kosovo official condemned the crime in Goraždevac.

Days later, on August 17, 2003, fire was again opened at five Serbian children in the center of the enclave, but no one was killed that time.

Then UNMIK police chief Stefan Feller stated after the crime that he would "turn every stone to find the child killers".

Despite that, and a million euro reward offered by UNMIK, there is still no indictment in the case.

The families of the victims blame ethnic Albanians, and say they believe the fact no progress was made in the investigation means that authorities are either inefficient, or are involved in a cover-up.

Bogdan Bukumirić fights on

One of the survivors of the attack, Bogdan Bukumirić, who was seriously wounded six years ago, said today that he would file a lawsuit at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg against international judiciary in Kosovo, because of the fact no progress has been made in the investigation of the crime.

“I will never stop fighting to have child killers brought to justice,” Bukumirić told Tanjug on the anniversary today.

Bogdan was only 15 when he was shot from automatic rifle fire while he was playing with his friends on the Bistrica River bank.

After a long recovery period, in July 2007, he started writing to international officials in Kosovo, requesting an answer to a single question: “How far did the investigation go and why no indictments against perpetrators have been issued yet?”

He has written to former UNMIK chief Joachim Ruecker. On two occasions last February, he wrote to current UNMIK head Lamberto Zannier, and on July 14, he sent his letter to EULEX Chief Yves de Kermabon.

Last year, he received Ruecker's reply which, he says, "disturbed him a lot", because it only included information about setting up of a new investigating team from among the Kosovo police and UNMIK, whose aim is to review and check all the evidence and recommend new direction of operation.

"This year, on March 30, I received a reply from UNMIK, in which an official person is informing me that they had forwarded my letter to chief prosecutor of EULEX," said Bogdan.

"This means that they have practically done nothing, they keeping starting from the beginning,” he continued, underscoring that he has yet to receive a reply from EULEX.

"There is only one question I keep asking: who shot at the innocent children while they were playing by the river, who shot at me and my friends, will the terrorists be brought to justice?"

Bogdan believes it is "incomprehensible that it was impossible to find criminals who fired 90 bullets at children in broad daylight six years ago, just because the children were of Serb ethnicity".

Like most of Serbs in Goraždevac, Tanjug says, Bukumirić is certain that this is "a conspiracy of silence and solidarity of Albanians, and that without pressure by international institutions, the perpetrators will never be arrested".

"Ethnically motivated"

"The terrorist attack on children in Goraždevac six years ago was an ethnically motivated crime, unprecedented anywhere in Europe in modern times," Ministry for Kosovo State Secretary Oliver Ivanović told Tanjug on Wednesday.

He "concluded with regret" that the investigation into the murder of two boys and injuring of four others "is still at the beginning".

Ivanović recalled that the competent Kosovo Albanian institutions, UNMIK police and justice had carried out the investigation and that KFOR experts were also included in the from the beginning.

Last year, a working group was set up to reexamine the evidence, but the investigation did not produce any results, said Ivanović.

“It is important to underscore that the Goraždevac crime was committed in the presence of 40,000 international troops and policemen, which is why excuses cannot be accepted,” said he.

“The international community has to understand that there will be no peace or stability if the Serbs continue to be a legitimate target for obtaining some political or material goals. If an Albanian can kill a Serb without any retribution, I believe that this society will not be taking the right direction,” underscored Ivanović.

On Thursday, Ivanović was quoted as saying that solving this crime will be "a serious test for EULEX", that will either grapple with these issues or "admit its failure".

"No progress"

Also on Wednesday, Kosovo police, KPS, spokesman Arber Beka said that "no progress was made" in the investigation into the attack on the Serbs six years ago.

Beka told Tanjug that gathering of evidence and data began immediately after the attack, which took place on August 13, 2003.

He reiterated that more than 75 witnesses and suspects were questioned during the investigation, that more than 100 houses were searched and that seven fire arms that were found during the search, and that no connection was established to the crime in Goraždevac.

“The investigation continued with UNMIK police and a team of investigators. Unfortunately, the perpetrators of the cowardly crime have not been found to date,” the spokesman stated.

“There is no doubt that all those familiar with the perpetrator of the crime have decided by now not to speak about it,” said Beka.