"EU appoints team to investigate Kosovo organ trade"

The EU has decided to appoint a special prosecutor and a team to investigate the Kosovo human organ trafficking allegations, said reports. First surfacing in a book written by former Chief Hague Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, the allegations of atrocities committed by members and leaders of the ethnic Albanian KLA in Kosovo were investigated by Council of Europe Rapporteur Dick Marty, who presented his findings in a report published late last year. "EU appoints team to investigate Kosovo organ trade" Serbia's state broadcaster RTS reported last night that the EU probe would cover organ trafficking allegations and involvement of former KLA leaders in organized crime. Serbia has previously insisted that the investigation should be carried out under the UN umbrella, as was the case with other war crimes committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Some western countries, however, maintained that the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, was capable of carrying out the probe by itself. The news out of Brussels seem to suggest that the idea to entrust "the current composition of EULEX" with the task has been abandoned, said RTS. Tanjug quoted a CoE source as saying that instead, "a team of 7 people, headed by a special prosecutor" would carry out the investigation, and "in part be based in Brussels". The news agency said the decision to do this was made in late May. In March, EULEX said that a special team of prosecutors and investigators would be formed to deal with the Marty report, and that this mission had "a good system of witness protection, but lacked personnel". Shortly after the decision was taken in Brussels to investigate ex-KLA leadership, including current Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci, two EULEX cars were blown up in Pristina, said RTS. EU's investigators will have to probe a number of accusations from the report, among them that Thaci is "the boss of a mafia engaged in arms and drugs trafficking and illegal trade in human organs". Dick Marty (Tanjug, file) Working group Meanwhile, it was announced in Pristina that EULEX has formed a working group to investigate Council of Europe rapporteur Dick Marty's report on human organ trafficking and a part of the group will be stationed in Brussels. This was heard from spokesperson Irina Gudeljevic. According to her, the decision to form the group and continue the investigation into Marty's findings is supported by all 27 EU members. The group consists of prosecutors and investigators and will work on the preliminary inquiry that EULEX opened January 27, 2011, Gudeljevic explained, adding that a part of the team will be located in Brussels because of the probe's international character. The case falls under the authority of the Pristina District Court, and EULEX judges from the court are already involved in the preliminary investigation, she pointed out.

"EU appoints team to investigate Kosovo organ trade"

Serbia's state broadcaster RTS reported last night that the EU probe would cover organ trafficking allegations and involvement of former KLA leaders in organized crime.

Serbia has previously insisted that the investigation should be carried out under the UN umbrella, as was the case with other war crimes committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.

Some western countries, however, maintained that the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, was capable of carrying out the probe by itself. The news out of Brussels seem to suggest that the idea to entrust "the current composition of EULEX" with the task has been abandoned, said RTS.

Tanjug quoted a CoE source as saying that instead, "a team of 7 people, headed by a special prosecutor" would carry out the investigation, and "in part be based in Brussels". The news agency said the decision to do this was made in late May.

In March, EULEX said that a special team of prosecutors and investigators would be formed to deal with the Marty report, and that this mission had "a good system of witness protection, but lacked personnel".

Shortly after the decision was taken in Brussels to investigate ex-KLA leadership, including current Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci, two EULEX cars were blown up in Priština, said RTS.

EU's investigators will have to probe a number of accusations from the report, among them that Thaci is "the boss of a mafia engaged in arms and drugs trafficking and illegal trade in human organs".

Working group

Meanwhile, it was announced in Priština that EULEX has formed a working group to investigate Council of Europe rapporteur Dick Marty's report on human organ trafficking and a part of the group will be stationed in Brussels.

This was heard from spokesperson Irina Gudeljevic.

According to her, the decision to form the group and continue the investigation into Marty's findings is supported by all 27 EU members.

The group consists of prosecutors and investigators and will work on the preliminary inquiry that EULEX opened January 27, 2011, Gudeljevic explained, adding that a part of the team will be located in Brussels because of the probe's international character.

The case falls under the authority of the Priština District Court, and EULEX judges from the court are already involved in the preliminary investigation, she pointed out.