Kosovan premier investigated over organ trafficking

independent

By Neni Qena

Tuesday, 30 August 2011

A US prosecutor will investigate claims that Kosovo's Prime Minister led a criminal network that sold organs of civilian captives during the 1998-99 Kosovo war.

John Clint Williamson was named lead prosecutor for a task force set up to investigate the allegations raised in a report last year by the Council of Europe investigator Dick Marty....more...
read more: independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/kosovan-premier-investigated-over-organ-trafficking-2345883.html

Kosovo’s leader to be investigated over organ trafficking allegations

telegraph

KOSOVO

Allegations that Kosovo’s prime minister led a criminal gang that sold the organs of prisoners captured during the country’s war of independence against Serbia are to be investigated by an American prosecutor.

By Nick Squires
5:11PM BST 30 Aug 2011

John Clint Williamson has been named by the European Union mission in Kosovo as the chief prosecutor in a task force which has been set up to investigate the accusations against Hashim Thaci which date back to 1999....more...
read more: telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/kosovo/8731378/Kosovos-leader-to-be-investigated-over-organ-trafficking-allegations.html

Kosovo: Premier Is Investigated

ny times

WORLD BRIEFING / EUROPE

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: August 30, 2011

An American prosecutor will investigate accusations that Prime Minister Hashim Thaci of Kosovo led a criminal network that sold organs taken from civilian captives during the Kosovo war for independence from Serbia in 1998-99, the European Union Mission in Kosovo said on Monday. The prosecutor, John Clint Williamson, was named as leader of a task force set up to investigate the accusations, which were raised in a report last year by the Council of Europe. Mr. Thaci has denied the accusations and has said he is ready to cooperate with any investigation....more...

read more: ny times

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/30/world/europe/30briefs-Kosovo.html?ref=europe

Prosecutor announced in Kosovo organ trafficking inquiry

deutsche welle
KOSOVO

29.08.2011
A US prosecutor is to head a task force investigating alleged criminal activity, including organ trafficking, by Kosovar leaders including Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.

A task force to investigate allegations that Kosovo's prime minister was involved in an organ trafficking network has announced the investigation will be led by a US prosecutor.

John Clint Williamson was named 'lead prosecutor' in the EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) task force, which was set up to investigate allegations raised in a Council of Europe report last year....more...
read more: deutsche welle
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15351029,00.html

Kosovo PM to be investigated for alleged organ trafficking

guardian

US prosecutor will lead an investigation into claims that date back to the 1998-99 war that gave Kosovo independence

Associated Press

guardian.co.uk, Monday 29 August 2011 18.10 BST

A US prosecutor will investigate claims that Hashim Thaci, the Kosovo prime minister, led a criminal network that sold organs of prisoners during the 1998-99 Kosovo war.

Dick Marty, a Council of Europe investigator, has alleged that Thaci and other rebel commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army ran detention centres where civilian captives, including Serbs, were killed and their organs sold on the black market. Thaci has denied the allegation and said he is ready to co-operate with any investigation....more...
read more: guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/29/kosovo-pm-investigated-organ-trafficking

U.S. Prosecutor To Investigate Kosovo Organ-Trafficking Allegations

radio free europe
August 29, 2011

The European Union's Rule of Law (EULEX) mission in Kosovo has appointed a U.S. prosecutor to investigate allegations linking Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and other senior figures in Kosovo's leadership to organ trafficking.
EULEX said John Clint Williamson has been appointed lead prosecutor of its Special Investigative Task Force....more...
read more: radio free europe
http://www.rferl.org/content/thaci_kovoso_organ_trafficking/24311430.html

Kosovo still plagued by human trafficking

se times

21/07/2011

The government is working to address human trafficking and sex exploitation, but convictions are another matter.
By Linda Karadaku for the Southeast European Times in Pristina – 21/07/11
Kosovo is a source, destination and transit country for trafficking of women and children, a recently released US State Department report said. Although the government has made some effort to combat human trafficking, it has failed to comply with minimum standards, while serious institutional gaps remain, the report concludes....more...
read more: se times
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2011/07/21/feature-04

Seeking the truth in Albania

balkan insight
20 Jul 2011 / 16:50
Elira Çanga in Tirana
Without a full investigation, it is impossible to establish whether there is real substance to allegations that human organs were trafficked in Albanian territory after the war in Kosovo.
It is tough-going as I enter the final stages of my fellowship research topic. Especially if you, as I do, live in the middle of “burning” Tirana, with average temperatures of 38 degrees Celsius that are rising day by day.....more...
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/blog/seeking-the-truth-in-albania

OSCE Adopts Serbian Resolution on Organ Trade

balkan insight
11 JUL 2011 / 11:23

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Belgrade adopted a resolution on Sunday calling for a comprehensive investigation into claims of organ trafficking during the Kosovo war.

Belgrade B92, Vecernje Novosti, Balkan Insight

The investigation will focus on abductions and other crimes related to the removal and sale of human organs allegedly committed in Kosovo during armed conflicts in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999....more....
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/osce-parliamentary-assembly-adopts-serbian-resolution-on-organ-trade

Serbia demands UN inquiry into organ trafficking -video-

euronews
Kosovo Serbia
08/07 01:53 CET

Serbia is calling for an international inquiry into its claims that rebels from Kosovo trafficked in human organs during and after its war for secession in 1998-99.

The EU mission in Kosovo is already investigating but Serbia wants the UN to oversee it....more...
read more: euronews
http://www.euronews.net/2011/07/08/serbia-demands-un-inquiry-into-organ-trafficking/

Serbia Seeks Kosovo Organ Trade Probe

radio free europe
July 07, 2011

Belgrade has demanded an urgent UN investigation into claims that Kosovo rebels trafficked in human organs during and after the 1999 war....more....
read more: radio free europe
http://www.rferl.org/content/serbia_seeks_kosovo_organ_trade_probe/24258732.html

Serbia Ups Pressure for UN Kosovo Organ Probe

balkan insight
01 JUL 2011 / 10:48

Serbia is continuing to demand that the UN Security Council establish its own independent investigation into human organ-trafficking in the Kosovo war.

B92, Tanjug
Serbia will "continue asking the Security Council to adopt a decision enabling the organization of an independent investigation, with EULEX's agreement, under the supervision and control of the Security Council," the head of Serbia's UN mission, Feodor Starcevic, said....more...
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/serbia-keeps-insisting-on-independent-probe-into-organ-trafficking

Serbia Modifies Resolution on Kosovo Organ Trade

balkan insight
24 JUN 2011 / 16:42

Serbia is asking the United Nations Security Council to take control of a wide-ranging investigation into human organ trafficking in Kosovo, a top Serbian official said Thursday.

The investigation is currently being conducted by the European Union mission in Kosovo, EULEX, but Serbia maintains that only the United Nations has the political neutrality and international auspices to supervise an effective investigation....more...
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/serbia-modifies-resolution-on-kosovo-organ-trade

Kosovo: Two Charged in Medicus Organ Trafficking Case

balkan insight
14 JUN 2011 / 16:04

A EULEX prosecutor has indicted two foreigners linked to the Medicus clinic case on suspicion that they were involved in human organ trafficking.

Tanjug, B92
EULEX, the EU mission in Kosovo, confirmed the indictment against a Turkish doctor, Yusuf Sonmez, and Israeli Moshe Harel, in Pristina late on Monday.....more....
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/kosovo-two-charged-in-medicus-organ-trafficking-case

Kosovo Launches War Crimes Investigations Body

balkan insight

14 JUN 2011 / 08:25

Kosovo's newly established Institute for War Crime Investigations will collect, classify and archive information from the 1999 conflict.


Petrit Collaku Pristina

On Monday, Justice Minister Hajredin Kuci said that the institute, set up by the government, will investigate crimes in a scientific and professional way. ...more....
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/kosovo-to-investigate-war-crimes

EU In Kosovo Says Turk, Israeli Trafficked Organs

radio free europe
June 13, 2011

A European Union prosecutor in Kosovo has indicted a Turkish and an Israeli national for involvement in an international network that trafficked in human organs....more....
read more: radio free europe
http://www.rferl.org/content/eu_says_turk_and_israeli_trafficked_organs/24233910.html

I am caught by surprise that I was not called to join investigation team

blic online
CARLA DEL PONTE, FORMER CHIEF PROSECUTOR OF ICTY

I. Radisavljević

14. 06. 2011. - 00:02h
The tender for election of a seven-member team that shall investigate claims over body organ trade under the EULEX authority has been finished, ‘Blic’ learns. The names of judges and prosecutors to investigate abductions, murders and organ trade as well as involvement of the Kosovo Liberation Army leadership in those activities are still not known. However, as things are now, the former chief prosecutor of the Hague Tribunal Carla Del Ponte who recommended herself to lead the investigation and got support by Serbian prosecution is not going to be a part of that team.....more....
read more: blic online
http://english.blic.rs/In-Focus/7746/I-am-caught-by-surprise-that-I-was-not-called-to-join-investigation-team

Kosovo To Cooperate with Probe Into Organ Claims

balkan insight
10 JUN 2011 / 15:12


Kosovo’s government says it welcomes the EU's formation of a task force to probe allegations of organ trafficking by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army.




Petrit Collaku Pristina

Thaci’s main political advisor, Bekim Collaku, said that the government will cooperate with the task force, whose formation was announced this week, to help facilitate an independent and unbiased investigation....more....
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/kosovo-s-government-to-cooperate-with-the-task-force-on-investigation

Albania Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against Dick Marty

balkan insight
07 Jun 2011 / 14:09

Tirana’s District Court has annulled a defamation lawsuit against Swiss Senator Dick Marty filed following his report on alleged organ trafficking in Kosovo and Albania.

Besar Likmeta

Tirana

The suit was filed by an Albanian family who accused Marty of defamation after local media identified their house as a Kosovo Liberation Army base where alleged organ trafficking took place after the Kosovo war....more....

read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/albania-court-dismisses-lawsuit-against-dick-marty

Female Law Student Defends Male-dominated Status Quo of Sex Traffickers in Kosovo

republican riot

So check out what the fair town of Pittsburgh has in its midst:
Yes, Nato’s defence of Kosovo was long and costly, but it was certainly justified
Intervention not only halted ethnic cleansing but laid a path to democracy (The Guardian, March 30)
Ingrid Burke is a former legal intern in the Kosovan prime minister’s office and worked as a polling station adviser during Kosovo’s elections in December 2010. She studies at the University of Pittsburgh school of law, Pittsburgh, USA....more....

read more: republican riot
http://www.juliagorin.com/wordpress/?p=2629