"Evidence collected on KLA organ trafficking"

Justice Minister Dusan Petrovic says the War Crimes Prosecution is taking comprehensive measures to obtain evidence in the organ trafficking case. Former Chief Hague Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, now Switzerland's ambassador to Argentina, wrote in her book "The Hunt" that the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, kidnapped some 300 Kosovo Serbs after the 1999 war, and transported them to illegal laboratories in northern Albania, where their vital organs were removed before they were killed. "Evidence collected on KLA organ trafficking" Today, Petrovic, DS, told Tanjug news agency that War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic assured him his office was taking necessary measures to investigate the allegations. "All the institutions in the country with jurisdiction to deal with this matter, the War Crimes Prosecution and the Prosecutor above all, are doing everything in their power, are investing all their strength, so that we may have results," the minister said. "We must be aware that most of the evidence, primarily material evidence, is in a territory that is not under our country's control, but I am completely convinced that it is possible to exert very strong pressure on representatives of the international community and those who have been authorized in Kosovo by the United Nations to obtain very valid evidence," Petrovic was quoted as saying. This evidence, once completed, will be sent to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, but also to the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution, he concluded. Meantime, the leader of the New Kosovo Alliance, Bexhet Pacolli, has demanded that the sale of Del Ponte's book be banned in Switzerland, local media in Pristina report. According to Pacolli, a Kosovo Albanian businessman, the book represents a "heavy insult to Albanians". He accused Del Ponte in an interview for a Swiss television station that her book "carried only lies and slander", and that he will "use all legal possibilities to prevent the book from being sold". He went on to say that "the author was attempting to demean the KLA's struggle". Pacolli was also quoted as saying he was convinced "justice will triumph". British publicist Tim Judah also commented on the issue in a statement for Tanjug Friday when he said that Pristina and the government in Tirana should investigate claims regarding the trade in organs of missing Kosovo Serbs. "If authorities in Albania and Kosovo announced they would investigate the case, this would show that they are serious countries that want to see rule of law," Judah said. "Otherwise, this story will always be present and subject to use or abuse, which is why we should know whether it is true or not." "In any case, even if we leave aside the issue of trade in human organs, if 300 people went missing we have to know what happened to them. This cannot be neglected and neither can the issue of missing Albanians," the British journalist said. Judah added that he "heard stories that people had gone missing and were taken to Albania, but said that this was in 1999, and that he had heard nothing about it." Last week, Human Rights Watch sent a letter to Kosovo's Premier Hashim Thaci, himself a former KLA leader, urging him to start an investigation into the allegations. But the authorities in Pristina rejected this request.

"Evidence collected on KLA organ trafficking"

Today, Petrović, DS, told Tanjug news agency that War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukčević assured him his office was taking necessary measures to investigate the allegations.

"All the institutions in the country with jurisdiction to deal with this matter, the War Crimes Prosecution and the Prosecutor above all, are doing everything in their power, are investing all their strength, so that we may have results," the minister said.

"We must be aware that most of the evidence, primarily material evidence, is in a territory that is not under our country's control, but I am completely convinced that it is possible to exert very strong pressure on representatives of the international community and those who have been authorized in Kosovo by the United Nations to obtain very valid evidence," Petrović was quoted as saying.

This evidence, once completed, will be sent to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, but also to the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution, he concluded.

Meantime, the leader of the New Kosovo Alliance, Bexhet Pacolli, has demanded that the sale of Del Ponte's book be banned in Switzerland, local media in Priština report.

According to Pacolli, a Kosovo Albanian businessman, the book represents a "heavy insult to Albanians".

He accused Del Ponte in an interview for a Swiss television station that her book "carried only lies and slander", and that he will "use all legal possibilities to prevent the book from being sold".

He went on to say that "the author was attempting to demean the KLA's struggle".

Pacolli was also quoted as saying he was convinced "justice will triumph".

British publicist Tim Judah also commented on the issue in a statement for Tanjug Friday when he said that Priština and the government in Tirana should investigate claims regarding the trade in organs of missing Kosovo Serbs.

"If authorities in Albania and Kosovo announced they would investigate the case, this would show that they are serious countries that want to see rule of law," Judah said.

"Otherwise, this story will always be present and subject to use or abuse, which is why we should know whether it is true or not."

"In any case, even if we leave aside the issue of trade in human organs, if 300 people went missing we have to know what happened to them. This cannot be neglected and neither can the issue of missing Albanians," the British journalist said.

Judah added that he "heard stories that people had gone missing and were taken to Albania, but said that this was in 1999, and that he had heard nothing about it."

Last week, Human Rights Watch sent a letter to Kosovo's Premier Hashim Thaci, himself a former KLA leader, urging him to start an investigation into the allegations. But the authorities in Priština rejected this request.