A New Mass Grave Discovered in Zubin Potok, Kelmendi: War Crimes Never Expire

On Sunday, Kosovo’s security forces announced the identification of a new site in Zubin Potok that is suspected of concealing human remains.

According to a joint statement by the Kosovo Police and the Special Prosecutor’s Office, the location in the village of Jabukë was discovered during ongoing investigations into events in the area.

Acting Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla said that at what is believed to be a mass grave, at least four bodies had so far been exhumed. He said he had just returned from the scene and that the victims had been thrown into a lime pit after being executed.

Professor and legal expert Muhamet Kelmendi emphasizes that war crimes and genocide are not subject to a statute of limitations and, for that reason, must be prosecuted whenever new facts come to light.

He considers the discovery of mass graves an essential step toward shedding light on the atrocities committed and calls for exhaustive investigations. According to him, claims justifying the forced displacement of civilians are troubling, while determining legal responsibility falls to the judicial system.

Kelmendi explains that international criminal law considers violations committed during war among the most serious offenses and, under its fundamental principles, they do not expire. When evidence and testimony are sufficient, the authorities have an obligation to investigate, arrest suspects and conduct judicial proceedings against the individuals involved. He recalls that criminal responsibility is personal, while state responsibility may be examined in the appropriate international forums.

Genocide, he stresses, is the most horrific crime against humanity, prohibited by the 1948 Convention and a number of other treaties, including the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute. Precisely because of their gravity, the perpetrators of such acts may be prosecuted even decades after they were committed.

The discovery of mass graves on the territory of Serbia, including those near Zubin Potok and elsewhere, where the remains of victims of the war in Kosovo have been found, constitutes a key investigative element. According to Kelmendi, these findings require full, professional and independent investigations to determine individual perpetrators and demonstrate the need for the swift documentation and prosecution of war crimes.

Another troubling aspect is public statements that may be perceived as incitement to or justification of ethnic cleansing. Kelmendi cites as an example the case of former Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, who defended a minister by saying it was regrettable that she had been accused merely because she had said that, during the war, Albanians should have left for Albania if they did not accept the Serbian state.

For many analysts and human rights organizations, such statements are problematic, as they may be interpreted as an attempt to normalize or justify the expulsion of the civilian population. However, determining whether a statement constitutes evidence of a state policy or an international crime remains the responsibility of judicial and investigative bodies, based on the evidence.

Kelmendi recalls that the consequences of the war in Kosovo continue to be deeply felt because of the large number of victims and people who have still not been found.

He calls for the continuation of investigations into war crimes, stronger cooperation between local and international institutions, and the prosecution of those responsible.

According to him, these crimes do not expire, and securing justice for the victims is a legal and moral obligation to guarantee lasting peace.

The conflict in Kosovo left thousands of victims. Data documented by local and international institutions show that more than 13,000 people were killed, around 800,000 Albanians were forcibly expelled from their homes and thousands of others disappeared. Even today, the families of hundreds of missing people are still waiting for answers about the fate of their loved ones.

Therefore, Kelmendi emphasizes that continuing investigations into war crimes remains a legal and moral obligation. The Special Prosecutor’s Office of Kosovo has conducted a considerable number of investigations and criminal proceedings. Closer cooperation between Kosovo, Albania and international partners would help gather evidence, identify perpetrators and deliver justice.

At the same time, international justice mechanisms and state institutions must continue supporting the documentation of crimes, the discovery of mass graves and the prosecution of those responsible. Only through the enforcement of the law, respect for the truth and the punishment of perpetrators can lasting peace be built and the recurrence of such atrocities prevented.

Justice for the victims is not only a legal obligation but also a moral debt to history, to the families who are still searching for their relatives, and to generations who deserve to live in a region where crimes are not denied but investigated and punished in accordance with domestic law and international conventions.

He concludes that such offenses never expire.