OSCE PA committee adopts Kosovo organ trade draft

The OSCE PA Committee for Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions has approved a draft resolution on Kosovo human organ trafficking. The document submitted by Serbia calls for an independent international investigation into the allegations of human organ trade in Kosovo. OSCE PA committee adopts Kosovo organ trade draft Two amendments - which suggested that only EULEX should carry out the investigation, and called for removal of the part of the draft that requested the investigation to be carried out under the UN mandate - were rejected. An amendment that envisages a joint investigation of EULEX and UNMIK was accepted. The second amendment which was adopted was technical. Earlier today, a group of German and American OSCE Parliamentary Assembly members submitted four amendments, calling for removal from Serbia's key request from the draft – that the investigation be conducted under the UN mandate. "We believe a serious court investigation is the next and only logical step," head of the Serbian parliament delegation to the OSCE PA Suzana Grubjesic said presenting the draft resolution at a meeting of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions. "A UN led investigation is key to the success of the inquiry, an integral part of the search for justice and the only way to ensure cooperation from other countries,“ she stressed. "The organ trafficking in Kosovo is a classic example of a criminal enterprise and war crime, but also one of the most hideous forms of crime, especially when committed against unarmed civilians in a war-torn area,“ Grubjesic added. "The crime represents the worst form of collateral damage in a brutal ethnic conflict, which involved some people in Kosovo, and some are still involved," she remarked, adding that the crimes were committed during and after the NATO bombing campaign against Serbia in 1999, and that between 300 and 500 people went missing at the time. "People were killed for their kidneys and other organs, which were later sold on the international black market in northern Africa, Middle East, and areas where OSCE operates,“ she pointed out, adding that there was no comprehensive investigation into that crime, even though there was an agreement between the Serbian and Albanian prosecutors. German and U.S. delegations also wished to remove the part of the draft which calls for cooperation with UN and EU missions in Kosovo - UNMIK and EULEX - and instead write that "Serbia welcomes EU’s decision to form an independent investigative team within EULEX.” They also proposed to add that "kidnappings and crimes were allegedly committed in the territory of Kosovo”. The voting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on the resolution itself is expected to take place on Sunday. The report submitted in late 2010 by Council of Europe Rapporteur Dick Marty names members of the ethnic Albanian KLA as perpetrators of the atrocities that took place in 1999 and 2000, while their victims were kidnapped Serb and other civilians. (Tanjug)

OSCE PA committee adopts Kosovo organ trade draft

Two amendments - which suggested that only EULEX should carry out the investigation, and called for removal of the part of the draft that requested the investigation to be carried out under the UN mandate - were rejected.

An amendment that envisages a joint investigation of EULEX and UNMIK was accepted.

The second amendment which was adopted was technical.

Earlier today, a group of German and American OSCE Parliamentary Assembly members submitted four amendments, calling for removal from Serbia's key request from the draft – that the investigation be conducted under the UN mandate.

"We believe a serious court investigation is the next and only logical step," head of the Serbian parliament delegation to the OSCE PA Suzana Grubješić said presenting the draft resolution at a meeting of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions.

"A UN led investigation is key to the success of the inquiry, an integral part of the search for justice and the only way to ensure cooperation from other countries,“ she stressed.

"The organ trafficking in Kosovo is a classic example of a criminal enterprise and war crime, but also one of the most hideous forms of crime, especially when committed against unarmed civilians in a war-torn area,“ Grubješić added.

"The crime represents the worst form of collateral damage in a brutal ethnic conflict, which involved some people in Kosovo, and some are still involved," she remarked, adding that the crimes were committed during and after the NATO bombing campaign against Serbia in 1999, and that between 300 and 500 people went missing at the time.

"People were killed for their kidneys and other organs, which were later sold on the international black market in northern Africa, Middle East, and areas where OSCE operates,“ she pointed out, adding that there was no comprehensive investigation into that crime, even though there was an agreement between the Serbian and Albanian prosecutors.

German and U.S. delegations also wished to remove the part of the draft which calls for cooperation with UN and EU missions in Kosovo - UNMIK and EULEX - and instead write that "Serbia welcomes EU’s decision to form an independent investigative team within EULEX.”

They also proposed to add that "kidnappings and crimes were allegedly committed in the territory of Kosovo”.

The voting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on the resolution itself is expected to take place on Sunday.

The report submitted in late 2010 by Council of Europe Rapporteur Dick Marty names members of the ethnic Albanian KLA as perpetrators of the atrocities that took place in 1999 and 2000, while their victims were kidnapped Serb and other civilians.