Prishtina, 30 August, 2024
On the International Day of Missing Persons, under the auspices of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, the Governmental Commission for Missing Persons and the Coordinating Council of the Family Associations of the Missing Persons of Kosovo, tributes were paid to the memorial dedicated to persons who disappeared violently during the war , near the Assembly of Kosovo.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister Donika Gërvalla, the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Saranda Bogujevci, representatives of the organizations of the family members of the persons who disappeared violently during the last war in Kosovo and with other ambassadors and diplomats accredited in our country, after placing fresh flowers and paying homage, said that even after 25 years, the fate of 1595 people is not known.
“The overwhelming majority or close to 94 percent of those who were exhumed and returned as corpses to their homeland, this happened in the last months of 2000 and throughout 2001, i.e. after the fall of Milosevic in Serbia, in the mass cemetery in Batajnica, Petrovo Selo and Perucac. A total of 900 Albanians, old men, women, children, 900 in total, were exhumed in these three mass cemeteries. 744 in Batajnica and 84 and 72 in Petrovo Selo and Peruçac. Then, there were no other exhumations, because there were no excavations and, in the period from 2010 to 2021, another 61 Albanians were exhumed in two other mass cemeteries, 54 in Rudnica and 7 in Kizhevak.
So, the overwhelming part, close to 94 percent of those exhumed are in the first months after the overthrow of Milosevic, and then there was no will in Serbia for further excavations. In Kosovo, we have 2,800 excavations in these 25 years of freedom, while in Serbia there are only these five mass cemeteries.” said the prime minister.
As a result of the work and commitment of the Governmental Commission for Missing Persons, headed by Andin Hoti, but also the commitment of organizations and associations of family members, excavations have begun in Kozhlje, which is a place in Serbia, in Sandjak, between Tutin and Novi Pazar.
Prime Minister Kurti once again called on the international factors that have helped us put pressure on Serbia to start digging there, to put pressure on Belgrade to open the archive of the 37th Motorized Brigade of the Yugoslav army, where the truth is.
“We are not asking for the opening of the archives simply in general, that necessarily, but we are also asking for the opening of a very specific archive, it is the archive of the 37th Motorized Brigade of the Yugoslav army”, said the prime minister.
Prime Minister Kurti said that there has never been a higher priority in the Government of the Republic of Kosovo than now the assessment excavations, excavations in general, pressure on Belgrade and cooperation with international factors, our allies and partners whom he thanked for their commitment.
Prime Minister Kurti’s statement to the media:
Today, on the International Day of Missing Persons, together with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gërvalla Schwarz and the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic, Saranda Bogujevci, as well as leaders and representatives of organizations of family members of persons who have disappeared with violence during the last war in Kosovo and with other ambassadors and diplomats accredited to our Republic, we paid tribute here at the tombstone dedicated to our dearest ones, about whose fate and location we still know nothing even after 25 years.
It is about 1595 people. The vast majority or close to 94 percent of those who were exhumed and returned as corpses to their homeland, this happened in the last months of 2000 and throughout 2001, i.e. after the fall of Milosevic in Serbia, in the mass cemetery in Batajnica, Petrovo Selo and Perucac. A total of 900 Albanians, old men, women, children, 900 in total, were exhumed in these three mass cemeteries. 744 in Batajnica and 84 and 72 in Petrovo Selo and Peruçac. Then, there were no other exhumations, because there were no excavations and, in the period from 2010 to 2021, another 61 Albanians were exhumed in two other mass cemeteries, 54 in Rudnica and 7 in Kizhevak. So, the overwhelming part, close to 94 percent of those exhumed are in the first months after the overthrow of Milosevic, and then there was no will in Serbia for further excavations. In Kosovo, we have 2800 excavations in these 25 years of freedom, while in Serbia there are only these five mass cemeteries.
As a result of the work and commitment of the Governmental Commission for Missing Persons, headed by Andin Hoti, and due to the work and commitment of organizations and associations of family members, excavations have also begun in Kozhlje, which is a place in Serbia, in Sanxhak , between Tutin and Novi Pazar. Now, let’s see what results we can get from there.
Meanwhile, these days, evaluation excavations are being done in 13 locations in Kosovo. The anxiety of the families is great, their grief is deep, but their stability is high and we owe it to them, that with all our knowledge and possibilities and abilities, we do everything to clarify the fate of the missing and find their location. theirs.
But this year it has been 20 years since Veljko Odallović, who was Milosevic’s main man during the war in Kosovo, is at the head of the Commission for Missing Persons in Serbia. Veljko Odallovic and Zoran Angjellkovic were the two main people. Can you imagine the one who should be in the defendant’s dock, to have a fair trial for him and a well-deserved punishment, today Veljko Odallovic leads the Commission for Missing Persons in Serbia for twenty years, since 2004.
And if this was not enough, in 2014, that is, 10 years ago, the archive of the 37th Motorized Brigade of the Yugoslav Army was classified by decision in Serbia for 30 years. This fall will not open until 2044.
Should we wait another 20 years for the archive of the 37th Motorized Brigade of the Yugoslav Army to be opened? There is the truth. Because this brigade has committed a large number of massacres in Kosovo, especially in the Drenica region.
Therefore, we call once again on the international factors that have helped us put pressure on Serbia to start this excavation in Sanjak, between Tutin and Novi Pazar, to put pressure on Belgrade to change the decision, to take a new decision and the archive of the 37th Motorized Brigade of the Yugoslav army is opened, there is the truth.
We are digging in 13 locations in Kosovo, but it will be much faster and easier when that archive is opened.
We are not asking for the opening of the archives simply in general, that necessarily, but we are also asking for the opening of a very specific archive, which is the archive of the 37th Motorized Brigade of the Yugoslav army.
We will stay close to the family members and it has never been a higher priority in the Government of the Republic of Kosovo than now the assessment excavations, the excavations in general, the pressure on Belgrade and the cooperation with the international factors, our allies and partners whom we thank.
Last modified: September 2, 2024