Zubin Potok Reveals Possible Traces of War, Fehlinger Calls for Full Investigation and Pressure on Serbia

The discovery of human remains at several sites in Zubin Potok, believed to belong to victims of the recent war in Kosovo, could be an important step toward determining the fate of missing persons and investigating unresolved crimes from the 1998-1999 period.

Following the initial discoveries, Kosovo’s justice institutions have begun forensic examinations and DNA analyses. The aim is to identify the victims and establish the circumstances of their deaths, a process that could provide answers to the families of missing persons, who have waited for decades to learn what happened to their relatives.

These developments have once again drawn attention to the issue of mass graves and the need for broader institutional cooperation to locate suspected sites and document war crimes.

Austrian expert Gunther Fehlinger spoke to “Bota sot” about the issue.

Fehlinger described the discovery of human remains at several sites in Zubin Potok as an event of extraordinary importance for Kosovo, the families of missing persons and the investigation of war crimes that remain unresolved.

Austrian expert Gunther Fehlinger

According to him, the procedures must be conducted with the utmost professionalism, in accordance with the law and forensic standards. Only in this way can the identification of the victims and determination of responsibility be based on accurate evidence.

“The discovery of human remains at several sites in Zubin Potok represents an extraordinarily important development for Kosovo, the families of missing persons and the investigation of unresolved crimes committed during the 1998-1999 war.

These findings must first be handled with dignity, forensic professionalism and full legal care. DNA testing must be used to establish the identity of every victim, while prosecutors must clarify the time, circumstances and responsibility for each death. Until this process is completed, no conclusion regarding specific victims or perpetrators should be regarded as established fact.”

Fehlinger also emphasized that, even 27 years after the end of the war, new evidence, the professional work of institutions and forensic investigations can lead to the discovery of previously unknown graves.

According to him, each identified site may bring answers to families who have waited for decades, while also potentially uncovering evidence of abductions, executions, the concealment of bodies and attempts to obstruct justice.

“The success of the investigations should not be measured solely by the number of remains found. Consideration must also be given to how crime scenes are preserved, the identification of victims through DNA, the safeguarding of the chain of evidence, the questioning of witnesses and the investigation of those who ordered, committed or concealed these crimes,” the Austrian expert said.

According to him, the discoveries in Zubin Potok make the Declaration on Missing Persons, adopted in 2023 as part of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, even more important. The document provides for cooperation in determining the fate of missing persons and the exchange of relevant information.

“The European Union must demand the full implementation of this agreement. Serbia must guarantee unrestricted access to military, police, security service, municipal and state archives from the wartime period. Operational documents, transport records, information about burials and any material related to primary, secondary or concealed graves must be made public.

Cooperation on missing persons cannot remain merely a symbolic element of the Brussels dialogue,” Fehlinger stated.

The expert believes that the European Union should make Serbia’s accession process, as well as the related political and financial benefits, conditional on the country’s measurable cooperation regarding missing persons and evidence of war crimes.

Analyzing the impact of the discoveries on war crimes trials, Fehlinger said that forensic evidence could strengthen criminal cases. It could help identify victims, determine their number, document patterns of crime and establish links between different sites.

“In every trial, an individual evidentiary link must be established between the crime and the accused. Delays in identification through DNA may prolong investigations and trials, while successful identification can strengthen criminal cases, correct the historical record and give families the truth they have sought for so long,” he said.

In conclusion, the Austrian expert called for the issue of missing persons not to be turned into a tool for political clashes or interethnic tensions. He stressed that every victim, regardless of their background, has the right to identification, dignity and justice.

“The families of missing persons have waited far too long. Kosovo’s institutions, Serbia, the European Union, EULEX, the International Committee of the Red Cross and all responsible bodies must cooperate until the fate of every missing person has been determined.

There can be no long-term normalization between Kosovo and Serbia without the truth about missing persons, accountability for war crimes and the full disclosure of the sites where victims were buried,” Gunther Fehlinger concluded for “Bota sot.”