"Marty to address EP on March 10"

According to unofficial information, Council of Europe Rapporteur Dick Marty could appear before the European Parliament Foreign Policy Committee on March 10. Even though the information has not been confirmed yet, it is not a secret that some MEPs are urging Marty to address the EP, daily Politika writes. "Marty to address EP on March 10" This would be Marty’s first address to the EU institutions since the CoE resolution was adopted on January 25. The daily has learned from diplomatic sources in Brussels that the EU did not change its position on the investigation into the organ trafficking allegations from Marty’s report. “The EU stands by what is already known and that it that EULEX should deal with the investigation into the alleged organ trafficking in Kosovo and that Mr. Marty should provide evidence for the allegations he made in the report. If he has any. EULEX needs to work based on evidence and Marty was asked twice in writing to produce evidence. Therefore, Brussels only supports EULEX,” said the daily’s source, pointing out that EULEX was already conducting a preliminary investigation and that it had capacity to complete the investigation. At the UN Security Council meeting Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic requested the UN to establish an “ad hoc mechanism” which would investigate the allegations about human organ trade in Kosovo and which would answer to the UN Security Council. He explained that it was necessary to conduct an independent investigation which needed to have an international mandate so justice could be served and so witnesses could be fully protected. The request caused divisions within the Security Council because the western countries led by the U.S. objected it and insisted that EULEX should conduct the investigation because it was, as they said, fully capable of conducting such an investigation. Serbia’s request was supported by Russia, China, Gabon and Republic of South Africa. Since Security Council permanent members have the power of veto, it is almost certain that the Serbian proposal will not be successful. Former Serbian Ambassador to France and Political Science Faculty Professor Predrag Simic explains that the western countries do not want the investigation to be taken over by the UN because the U.S. do not want to make Serbs and Albanians equal by forming another Hague Tribunal. “At the moment, it’s out of the question for the U.S. that Albanians are guilty. They can be guilty a little bit but not like Serbs who are being tried in the Hague Tribunal. The U.S. has been trying to cushion the crisis caused by Dick Marty’s report since the beginning,” he pointed out. Simic has, however, also criticized Serbia’s move because it practically requested the forming of a court for the Albanian war criminals, which is in his opinion an unnecessary haste. According to him, the investigation into the human organ trafficking needs to be conducted by the EU. “Every Serbia’s interference allows those who were in favor of independent Kosovo to try to accuse Serbia of manipulation. Serbia is not running Kosovo at the moment, no matter what we think about it. Kosovo is run by the EU, at least formally, and it is paying the bills. Serbia could have been a jury in the investigation and left Marty the role of the prosecutor,” the professor stressed. He is convinced that Serbia does not have enough strength to independently carry out any of its actions in the UN and that this request therefore does not stand a chance. “Since Kosovo is a European problem, let them bang their heads against the wall how to clean it from all possible forms of crime and war crimes because Kosovo will otherwise become a bottomless pit in which Europe will keep throwing money,” Simic pointed out. Dick Marty (Tanjug, file)

"Marty to address EP on March 10"

This would be Marty’s first address to the EU institutions since the CoE resolution was adopted on January 25.

The daily has learned from diplomatic sources in Brussels that the EU did not change its position on the investigation into the organ trafficking allegations from Marty’s report.

“The EU stands by what is already known and that it that EULEX should deal with the investigation into the alleged organ trafficking in Kosovo and that Mr. Marty should provide evidence for the allegations he made in the report. If he has any. EULEX needs to work based on evidence and Marty was asked twice in writing to produce evidence. Therefore, Brussels only supports EULEX,” said the daily’s source, pointing out that EULEX was already conducting a preliminary investigation and that it had capacity to complete the investigation.

At the UN Security Council meeting Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić requested the UN to establish an “ad hoc mechanism” which would investigate the allegations about human organ trade in Kosovo and which would answer to the UN Security Council. He explained that it was necessary to conduct an independent investigation which needed to have an international mandate so justice could be served and so witnesses could be fully protected.

The request caused divisions within the Security Council because the western countries led by the U.S. objected it and insisted that EULEX should conduct the investigation because it was, as they said, fully capable of conducting such an investigation. Serbia’s request was supported by Russia, China, Gabon and Republic of South Africa.

Since Security Council permanent members have the power of veto, it is almost certain that the Serbian proposal will not be successful.

Former Serbian Ambassador to France and Political Science Faculty Professor Predrag Simić explains that the western countries do not want the investigation to be taken over by the UN because the U.S. do not want to make Serbs and Albanians equal by forming another Hague Tribunal.

“At the moment, it’s out of the question for the U.S. that Albanians are guilty. They can be guilty a little bit but not like Serbs who are being tried in the Hague Tribunal. The U.S. has been trying to cushion the crisis caused by Dick Marty’s report since the beginning,” he pointed out.

Simić has, however, also criticized Serbia’s move because it practically requested the forming of a court for the Albanian war criminals, which is in his opinion an unnecessary haste. According to him, the investigation into the human organ trafficking needs to be conducted by the EU.

“Every Serbia’s interference allows those who were in favor of independent Kosovo to try to accuse Serbia of manipulation. Serbia is not running Kosovo at the moment, no matter what we think about it. Kosovo is run by the EU, at least formally, and it is paying the bills. Serbia could have been a jury in the investigation and left Marty the role of the prosecutor,” the professor stressed.

He is convinced that Serbia does not have enough strength to independently carry out any of its actions in the UN and that this request therefore does not stand a chance.

“Since Kosovo is a European problem, let them bang their heads against the wall how to clean it from all possible forms of crime and war crimes because Kosovo will otherwise become a bottomless pit in which Europe will keep throwing money,” Simić pointed out.