Serbian war crimes prosecutor: Arrests of Serbs aimed at belittling investigation
The arrest by the Kosovo police of Serbs and the TV broadcast of a tapped conversations in which they allegedly persuade people to testify about the human organ trafficking aims at compromising and belittling investigation of the Serbian War Crime Prosecution Office, said Serbian War Crime Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, August 17, 2009
On August 12, Radio Television Kosovo broadcasted an exclusive footage of the conversation of three Serbian citizens, arrested in Kosovo two months ago, on charges that they offered money for false testimony about the trafficking of organs of the Serbs kidnapped in 1999.
Vukcevic stated for the Belgrade Politika Daily that the Kosovo Albanian leadership feels vulnerable and, therefore, is trying to put the investigation into the background.
"Why does the footage appear at this point in time? Probably to protect some people, because everyone knows who is responsible for this," said Vukcevic.
While investigating the disappearance of 300 to 500 people in Kosovo from 1999 to 2001, the War Crime Prosecution discovered information on the relationship of the Kosovo Albanians' political leadership with organized crime.
According to the information, former Kosovo Premier Ramush Haradinaj organized the transfer of Serbs to Albania, and there are indications that vital organs were taken from these people, "Politika" writes.
Last week, Albanian officials denied the possibility for the state to conduct an investigation on this case in the presence of foreign observers, and the residents of village Burelj, which is, according to allegations, the location of the improvised hospital where organs were taken from prisoners, prevented the team of Special Rapporteur of the Council of Europe Dick Marty to visit this place.
Vukcevic believes that Albania will therefore bear the consequences.
"No country that considers itself democratic cannot prevent a special rapporteur of the Council of Europe from conducting an investigation, aimed at determining the truth about the fate of hundreds of people". said Vukcevic.
