Sixth anniversary of March 17 pogrom against Serbs in Kosovo
Memorial services in Belgrade, churches and monasteries in Kosovo and exhibitions of icons and frescoes from the province have marked six years since the wave of ethnic Albanian violence against Serbs in that province. In the March violence of ethnic Albanian extremists against Serbs in Kosovo, 19 persons were killed and 954 others were wounded or injured.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Close to 4,000 Serbs were expelled from their homes, ethnic cleansing was carried out in six towns and nine villages, and 935 houses belonging to Serbs were torched or destroyed, as well as 10 municipal objects, such as schools, medical centers, post offices.
The ethnic Albanian rampage especially targetted the spiritual heritage and medieval buildings of the Serbian national heritage. A total of 35 religious objects were razed, torched or heavily damaged, including 18 cultural monuments.
NATO and UN officials did not deem the violence ethnic cleansing.
Pristina attorney Zivojin Jaganovic said that investigations into the violence have yet to be completed.
"There are no serious efforts in that direction. If we want to face the truth, which is available to all those with good intentions, it can be easily concluded that in these events, though I would not accuse the international forces of facilitating them, I would say that they did not even take the minimum measures for protecting property and the citizens," he said.
The Kosovo Albanian courts processed 400 cases, mostly for minor crimes committed during the violence.
The first serious verdict was passed in 2005 when six Albanians from Gnjilane were sentenced to a total of 38 years in prison.
They were found guilty of the murder of Serb Slobodan Peric and his mother.
In total, 143 Kosovo Albanians were convicted, of which 67 received prison terms of over a year.
Thousands of people protested in several Serbian cities because of the attacks on Serb enclaves in Kosovo.
