Marinkovic: No progress in clarifying the fate of the missing persons in Kosovo, there is a lack of political will

The Coordinator of the Association of Kidnapped and Missing Persons in Gracanica, Silvana Marinkovic, stated that without political will, there would be no progress in clarifying the fate of the missing, and that for this reason, families do not place much hope in the agreement about forming Joint Commission that would oversee the implementation of the Declaration on Missing Persons.

"Unfortunately, both my opinion and the opinion of other families is that this does not give us much hope that the issue will be resolved. The most important thing in solving this problem is political will. However, when it comes to resolving the issue of the missing, that political will is absent," Marinkovic told Kosovo Online.

She emphasizes that opening archives is key to resolving the fate of the missing, but so far, no mechanism has been established to ensure this.

"When the Working Group was operational, there were indications that all archives would be opened, but that has not happened. We also know that several agreements have been reached through the dialogue process, but none of those agreements have been honored. That is why our hopes are not high," Marinkovic said.

She believes that, so far, Pristina has been the one obstructing the process of resolving this humanitarian issue.

"None of the agreements have been respected so far. If Pristina had wanted the Working Group to continue its work, it would not have interrupted it. Therefore, I do not believe in its continuation even now," Marinkovic stressed.

Since 1999, she has been unsuccessfully searching for the truth about the fate of her husband, who went missing after the arrival of international forces in Kosovo.

"My husband disappeared on June 19, 1999, on the road between Pristina and Gnjilane, in the village of Labljane. Since that day, we have had no information about him, except for unofficial reports about the existence of some camps. That was until 2004. From 2004 onward, all traces have been lost," Marinkovic explained.

She points out that this is just one of many unresolved crimes.

Marinkovic believes that the role of the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo, based in The Hague, should include uncovering the fate of the missing. This can only be achieved by discovering potential mass graves, which would also reveal truths about the crimes for which few have been held accountable.

"The discovery of these potential mass graves and all the crimes that occurred in Kosovo and Metohija would serve as direct evidence against those being prosecuted in the Special Court. There are still 1,670 missing persons in Kosovo. Of that number, 650 are Serbs and non-Albanians. Everyone is well aware of the existence of the 'Yellow House' in Albania, so our suspicions are also directed there. We suspect that especially those who were young, healthy, and strong ultimately ended up in the 'Yellow House.' These are our suspicions," Marinkovic concluded.