DNA tests have established that human remains found during excavations in Kalludër and Jabukë, in northern Kosovo, belong to three people who went missing during the war: Adem Ademi, Fatmir Fazliu and Ali Haliti.
All three were members of the so-called “Group of Intellectuals” and disappeared in April 1999 in the Zubin Potok area.
Të lidhura
None found
Kosovo’s prime minister, Albin Kurti, announced their identification, saying he had been informed by the Government Commission on Missing Persons.
Lutfije Ademi Vokshi, the sister of surgeon Adem Ademi, told Radio Free Europe that the identification was painful news for the family. For more than 27 years, his relatives had hoped he might still be alive.
“For me, as of today, the question ‘Where is he?’ has finally been answered. Now I know where he is. I hope that other families of missing people will no longer have to ask: ‘Where is my loved one?’” she said.
After 27 years, the family will have somewhere to lay flowers
Adem Ademi was one of 23 Albanian intellectuals who disappeared in April 1999 in the Zubin Potok area during the Kosovo war.
Those who went missing included activists, professionals and other public figures from the Mitrovica region. Ademi’s sister waited 27 years to learn what had happened to him.
The identification, Lutfije Ademi Vokshi explained, has ended the long uncertainty. However, she expects emotional relief to begin after the burial.
“I believe the relief will come later, once the ceremony has taken place and we know where his grave is, so we can bring him a bouquet of flowers. The rest of the relief from the pain, I believe, will come after his burial,” she said.
She hopes the fate of the other missing people will also be clarified as soon as possible, so their families can find some measure of peace.
“The wound and the pain of a loved one’s absence remain. But it is enough for them to know where their loved one is and no longer have to ask: ‘Where is he?’” she said.
Adem Ademi’s son, Erblin Ademi, also wrote on social media that the family can now give his father the farewell and tribute he deserves.
The excavations and the investigation into the disappearance of 23 intellectuals
Excavations at three sites in Jabukë and Kalludër, in northern Kosovo, began in late July. Human remains were discovered there that were suspected to belong to at least 23 people, including members of the “Group of Intellectuals”.
According to Lutfije Ademi Vokshi, her brother’s remains were found in Jabukë.
“Amid all the bad news, the good thing is that they found Adem intact, with his entire body,” she said.
The remains of political activist Idriz Rrecaj, who was also a member of the “Group of Intellectuals”, had previously been identified in September.
So far, 13 people have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of the 23 intellectuals.
Kosovo’s Special Prosecution Office has said that the discovery of mass graves at the three northern sites followed two years of investigations into suspected war crimes.
After the excavations were completed, the remains were sent to The Hague for identification through DNA testing.
The Institute of Crimes Committed During the War in Kosovo says that more than 1,500 people remain listed as missing from the 1998–1999 war. The institute has documented a total of 12,230 war victims.
In May 2023, Kosovo and Serbia adopted a declaration on missing persons, providing for cooperation to establish their fate. It also includes access to documents and information that could help locate mass graves.
Implementation of the declaration, however, has been marked by delays and disagreements between the two sides.
