Excavations for the mortal remains of 23 missing persons continue in Kalludër, Zubin Potok

For the second consecutive day, teams are conducting excavations in Kalludër, in the municipality of Zubin Potok, where the remains of 23 persons missing during the recent conflict in Kosovo are suspected to be located.

Acting Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, visited the area yesterday where the work is being carried out.

During a statement to journalists, Sveçla emphasized that the localization of this mass grave came as a result of the continuous engagement of security bodies and the assistance provided by residents of the area.

“Thanks to the tireless work of our security institutions and cooperation with the population, we managed to discover a mass grave where the bodies of our fellow citizens are located. Currently, work is continuing with high intensity on several fronts, both in terms of exhumation and investigation, aiming to identify and bring before the justice bodies all perpetrators and responsible persons. We will not stop searching until we find even the last body of the missing,” he said.

As part of this action, on Tuesday two people were arrested, with the initials M.J. and M.B., who were assigned a 48-hour detention order, in connection with the investigations of the Special Prosecution.

The Special Prosecution announced that the entire process of extracting the remains from the soil is being conducted in accordance with the court decision as well as professional and international standards for identification of remains and preservation of material evidence.

“This process is being carried out respecting the court order and professional and international criteria for the identification of mortal remains and the administration of evidence, with the participation of competent institutions and field specialists,” stated the Special Prosecution’s press release.

The excavation activity is part of two separate criminal investigations which are being overseen by the Special Prosecution, while so far the authorities have not provided additional information on the identity of the victims or the circumstances of these two cases.

The Prosecution has also underlined that any subsequent announcement will be made public only in a form that does not harm the seriousness of the judicial process, the identification phase, and the rights of the affected families.

“State bodies remain determined to shed light on all the circumstances of this event, to guarantee justice for the victims and their families,” concludes the statement of the Special Prosecution.