UN Committee Concerned About Serbia's Resignation to extradite Kosovo Suspects

The UN Committee on Obsessible Extinctions (CED) published its findings for Serbia, Belgium, the Central Republic of Africa, Gambi and Malta today after examining the five parties during its latest session.

The findings contain key concerns and recommendations of the Committee for the implementation of the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from the Force, as well as positive aspects.

As for Serbia, the Committee recommended our neighbouring country that the “criminalise the criminal disappearance imposed as an autonomous act, review the sentences and statutes of restrictions to reflect its weight and enhance the definitions of victims to ensure full involvement and compensation for all individuals affected”.

The committee was also concerned about Serbia's refusal to extradite citizens sought by the Kosovo judicial authorities and the ranking of key military and police archives, preventing investigations”.

The “Committee recommended that the state side prioritise bilateral and multilateral efforts to reactivate the co-operation frames, to ensure the approach of the public to the archive, to resume dialogue with Kosovo to implement the Declaration of Missing Persons signed between Kosovo and Serbia in 2023<1>, it was said among other things in this report.

The committee, according to this report, says it has reiterated the concerns raised in 2023 by the Special Rapporteur for Promoting Truth, Justice, Reparation and Resuscitions concerning “ngecence in the will to prosecute Serbian officials for crimes against Kosovo Albanians, without any such charges in the last five years”.

The committee has cited the signing in 2015 of the Regional Co-operation Agreement in the Processing of War Crimes and Research of Missing Persons and the establishment of Co-ordination Mechanisms between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia, as well as information provided by the country's side concerning the agreement.

“However, the Committee is concerned that according to information received, regional co-operation and co-ordination required for effective development of research and identification processes have stalled in recent years, especially with Croatia and Kosovo”, this committee said.

The committee recommends that Serbia “take all necessary measures to boost co-operation with the judicial authorities in Kosovo and facilitate prosecution of all persons charged with carrying out the disappearances by force, including agreements to transfer cases”.

The committee said that since today, there have been a total of 2011 cases of emergency action, which are the requirements for the states to search, find and immediately protect an missing person. /Periscopi/