CoE Rapporteur Marty attends Belgrade meeting

Council of Europe (CoE) Special Rapporteur Dick Marty on Friday attended a session of the organization's sub-committee on crime and terrorism. The meeting was held in the Serbian parliament in Belgrade. CoE Rapporteur Marty attends Belgrade meeting The sub-committee's chair, Jean Charles Gardetto, also attended. Gardetto authored a report adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in January, dealing with witness protection in the Balkans. Marty was tasked with submitting a report on allegations of trafficking in human organs in northern Albania and Kosovo, and the report was used as a basis for a resolution also adopted by PACE in January of this year. The Marty report indicates that ethnic Albanian KLA kidnapped Serb and other non-Albanian civilians in Kosovo, to illegally imprison them and harvest their vital organs for sale in the international black market. Special Rapporteur Marty did not wish to address reporters in Belgrade today. Dick Marty (Tanjug, file) Witness protection "still problematic" Unlike Marty, Special Rapporteur of the Council of Europe Jean Charles Gardetto spoke to journalists in Belgrade on Friday to say that witness protection was still problematic in the Western Balkans and that regional countries needed to work on improving the situation in the domain. As for the Western Balkans, some new laws have been adopted, but the implementation of their provisions is still problematic and there is still a lot that needs to be done in this area, Gardetto told Tanjug and noted that the situation in this field varies from country to country. Gardetto underscored that the best witness protection system so far has been registered with Croatia. According to him, the rest of the Balkans still needs to do a lot in order to improve its witness protection programs. Gardetto noted that the issue is not a problem restricted to the Balkans only and also concerns the rest of Europe. The problem of witness protection does not apply to war crimes only, it also covers organized crime and corruption and we are taking into consideration both the Balkans and the rest of Europe, Gardetto said. He added that the Council of Europe intends to tackle the problem of witness protection both in the Balkans and in entire Europe and is currently evaluating witness protection systems in different countries.

CoE Rapporteur Marty attends Belgrade meeting

The sub-committee's chair, Jean Charles Gardetto, also attended. Gardetto authored a report adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in January, dealing with witness protection in the Balkans.

Marty was tasked with submitting a report on allegations of trafficking in human organs in northern Albania and Kosovo, and the report was used as a basis for a resolution also adopted by PACE in January of this year.

The Marty report indicates that ethnic Albanian KLA kidnapped Serb and other non-Albanian civilians in Kosovo, to illegally imprison them and harvest their vital organs for sale in the international black market.

Special Rapporteur Marty did not wish to address reporters in Belgrade today.

Witness protection "still problematic"

Unlike Marty, Special Rapporteur of the Council of Europe Jean Charles Gardetto spoke to journalists in Belgrade on Friday to say that witness protection was still problematic in the Western Balkans and that regional countries needed to work on improving the situation in the domain.

As for the Western Balkans, some new laws have been adopted, but the implementation of their provisions is still problematic and there is still a lot that needs to be done in this area, Gardetto told Tanjug and noted that the situation in this field varies from country to country.

Gardetto underscored that the best witness protection system so far has been registered with Croatia.

According to him, the rest of the Balkans still needs to do a lot in order to improve its witness protection programs.

Gardetto noted that the issue is not a problem restricted to the Balkans only and also concerns the rest of Europe.

The problem of witness protection does not apply to war crimes only, it also covers organized crime and corruption and we are taking into consideration both the Balkans and the rest of Europe, Gardetto said.

He added that the Council of Europe intends to tackle the problem of witness protection both in the Balkans and in entire Europe and is currently evaluating witness protection systems in different countries.