Zaric: I hope Marty's report will contribute to proving the truth, regardless of his death

Serbian journalist and the author of the docudrama "Yellow House", Sladjana Zaric, expressed her deep regret over the death of former Council of Europe rapporteur Dick Marty, who investigated the crimes of the KLA and human organ trafficking. She expressed hope that his death wouldn't mark the end but rather that the testimony he had left behind would contribute to proving the truth about war crimes in The Hague.

Zaric praised Dick Marty's report, adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), as the basis for her documentary on organ trafficking in the "Yellow House", stating that it had been conducted with utmost professionalism and objectivity.

"I was deeply saddened when I heard about Dick Marty's death. I believe he had sincere and very professional intentions to tell this tragic story after so many years. So I think it's a great loss for the truth and justice, but I sincerely hope it won't have further consequences for the continuation and revelation of the organ trafficking story. What the UNMIK report, which surfaced in the media after about ten years, and Dick Marty's report have shown is that some people, including the Serbs, had this tragic fate and ended up as victims of organ trafficking", Zaric said to Kosovo Online.

She pointed out that the story of organ trafficking in the "Yellow House" in Serbia had been presented in the wrong way and somewhat tabloid, while Dick Marty's report discussed around ten people who had been victims.

"I have to admit that the story about human organ trafficking in Serbia has often been presented in the wrong way, with some tabloid headlines suggesting live heart extraction. However, I think Dick Marty, in a serious and highly professional report, has shown that it did happen, though not to the extent that was presented. It involved perhaps around ten people who tragically ended up as victims of organ trafficking. But we must not forget that, under international law, one person meeting such a fate constitutes a crime that is unacceptable at any time, especially not in the 21st century in Europe", she emphasized.

Zaric points out that, although KLA leaders are not yet charged with organ trafficking, it shouldn't be said that Dick Marty's report did not contribute to some truth.

She points out that his report not only discusses organ trafficking but also addresses the Albanians who perished in camps at the hands of the KLA, victims during 1998 whose bodies were later found in mass graves and were abducted in Retinje and Opterushe.

"I sincerely hope that Dick Marty's death will not mark the end because an entire team of people worked on that report. As much as I delved into my story and investigated the Yellow House, that team conducted around 800 interviews, and all those people were heard. I want to believe that this story will find its justice one day. It's very difficult because we know that in many cases when there were trials in The Hague against KLA leaders, witnesses disappeared, and they were killed. Also, it's a story that is very difficult to prove. Even if you find a corpse based on remains, you cannot confirm that organ trafficking occurred. I want to believe that the truth will come to light one day. Everything I did was aimed not only at revealing the truth but also at bringing back the memory of all those missing people whom we, especially here in Belgrade, have forgotten", Zaric said.

She believes that Dick Marty's report will undoubtedly remain a testimony to the events in Kosovo. According to her, the report is "very well done, very objective, and very sincere", and the whole story does not absolve crimes committed on the other side.

She believes that Albanian public opinion must reconcile and accept the fact that serious crimes were committed against the Serbs.

"I'm not saying that we have accepted that fact, but when you look at it, numerous trials were conducted here in Serbia, and many ended up in prison. I think it's a process that, unfortunately, the Albanian population in Kosovo has not initiated, and they will have to do it one day if they want to confront the past and live in the future", Zaric said.

She expressed her belief that the truth, despite all difficulties and the death of the creator of the report on organ trafficking and crimes against people, will find a way to come to light and that the Albanians will "at the very least rejoice over Dick Marty's death".

"It may sound harsh; I don't know if the Albanians will misuse Dick Marty's death, but they will rejoice, I am convinced. Such great crimes and atrocities never rest on one person, but the crucial question is whether it will ever be possible to prove it in court. That is an entirely different matter from whether it happened", Zaric concluded.