After four weeks of fieldwork, assessment excavations and the exhumation of human remains have been completed at three locations confirmed as mass graves in Kalludër and Jabukë, in Zubin Potok.

The Government Commission on Missing Persons announced that human remains belonging to six individuals were found at the third site. As a result, the number of people discovered at the three locations has risen to 23. They are suspected to be victims of enforced disappearance.

During the operation, assessment excavations, exhumations, forensic documentation and inspections of other areas of interest were carried out.

The teams from the Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Police Missing Persons Unit, which operates under the Directorate for the Investigation of War Crimes, as well as other police and security institution units, took part in the activity.

The operation was supported by the Government Commission on Missing Persons and the Government of Kosovo. It was carried out pursuant to an order from the competent court, following a request by the prosecutor handling the case at the War Crimes Department of the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo. EULEX forensic teams from the Institute of Forensic Medicine also took part in the fieldwork.

Following the completion of the excavations, the materials found will undergo forensic examinations and DNA analyses. These procedures are intended to establish the identities of the victims and enable further steps to be taken, including the official notification of their families.

Kushtrim Gara of the Government Commission on Missing Persons confirmed that work at the sites suspected of containing mass graves had been completed, while warning that identification through DNA analysis would take more time.

“This involved around four weeks of work, from the end of the month until now. The area has now been marked and is among the locations confirmed as mass graves. It can be said that the assessment of the sites and the exhumation of all the human remains have been completed, after which they were sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for further forensic examinations, including DNA analyses,” Gara said.

According to him, Kosovo’s institutions will address all matters within their jurisdiction as a priority and with professionalism. Gara explained that the genetic identification process could take time and that, once the DNA report is received, the relevant procedures would be followed. One of the first steps will be to notify the families, but this phase will require time.

The Government Commission on Missing Persons thanked the teams and institutions that took part in the process. It also expressed its gratitude to the families of missing persons and the “Voice of Parents” Families’ Association for their cooperation.

Lawyer Gazmend Halilaj stressed that the discovery of the remains does not mark the end of the institutional work, but opens a new phase of humanitarian, legal and criminal importance. According to him, every human remain, personal item, piece of clothing, trace or other material discovered in these areas may help identify the victims and reconstruct the circumstances of their deaths.

In a statement to the newspaper “Bota sot,” Halilaj said that after the excavations, the site must be fully documented, the remains must undergo professional examination, biological samples must be taken and the preservation of every piece of evidence must be guaranteed without compromising its integrity. He considers DNA analysis one of the most important elements of this phase.

According to the lawyer, comparing the genetic material from the human remains with samples from relatives can establish the victim’s identity with a very high degree of certainty. For families who have been waiting for years or decades, such a result is not merely a scientific and legal conclusion, but also a human right and an opportunity to put an end to uncertainty.

However, Halilaj emphasized that identifying the victim is not the same as finding the perpetrator. DNA can establish whose remains they are, while criminal responsibility requires a link between the victim, the crime scene, the manner of death and the people suspected of the crime.

He stressed that each piece of evidence must be accompanied by a clear chain of custody: the time it was found, the person who collected it, where it was stored, the expert who examined it and the methods used must all be known. Failure to comply with legal and professional standards could create serious challenges to the use of the evidence in criminal proceedings, even if it has significant factual weight. According to him, responsibility for guaranteeing this process lies with the institutions.

Halilaj added that the investigation must also establish the place and time of the killings, the circumstances in which they occurred, the people present, the structures operating in the area and any information that could link a specific individual to the crime.

The Prosecution and Police must ensure that evidence is collected and administered in accordance with the law, while forensic experts and other institutions must ensure the professional examination and preservation of the human and biological materials. Every link in the process is important, as this evidence could also be used many years later in a court proceeding.

If the evidence shows that the deaths resulted from a war crime, identifying the victims will be only the starting point for a broader investigation. In that case, not only the identities must be established, but also the place, time and circumstances of the killings, the people present, the structures operating in the area and the possible links between specific individuals and the criminal offense.

According to Halilaj, every excavation requires a twofold approach: families must be given answers about the fate of their relatives, while every piece of evidence must be used to clarify the circumstances of the crime and determine criminal responsibility.

He pointed out that a mass grave should not be viewed only as a place where human remains are found, but also as a potential crime scene. It may provide information about how the crime was committed, the circumstances of the deaths and, potentially, the perpetrators. The passage of many years does not diminish the value of the evidence, especially in cases of war crimes, where every new element may help complete the history of an event that remains unresolved for families.

The lawyer concluded that justice cannot be based on emotions or assumptions, but on evidence collected, administered and preserved professionally and lawfully. If the materials found are linked to specific people and concrete criminal acts, they may carry decisive weight in criminal proceedings and in determining responsibility. For families, identification represents a step toward the truth, while for justice it should serve as the beginning of a full investigation into the crime.

The post After 23 Victims Are Discovered in Mass Graves, Halilaj Explains the Steps Toward Identification and Justice appeared first on Albeu.com.

The four-week process of exploratory excavations and exhumation of mortal remains at three locations confirmed as mass graves in Kalludër and Jabukë, Zubin Potok, has concluded.

The Government Commission on Missing Persons announced that the remains of six individuals were found at the third location. In total, the remains of 23 people, suspected victims of enforced disappearance, have been confirmed at the three sites examined.

During the fieldwork, exploratory excavations, exhumations, forensic documentation and a comprehensive assessment of the areas of interest to the investigation were carried out.

The operation involved teams from the Institute of Forensic Medicine, the Missing Persons Police Sector within the Directorate for the Investigation of War Crimes, as well as other police and security units. EULEX forensic teams based at the Institute of Forensic Medicine also took part in the process.

The excavations were carried out with the support of the Government Commission on Missing Persons and the Government of Kosovo, based on an order issued by the competent court. The order was issued following a request by the prosecutor handling the case in the War Crimes Department of the Special Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kosovo.

Kushtrim Gara of the Government Commission on Missing Persons said that the field engagement lasted around four weeks, from the end of the month until 21.08.2026, and that the areas have now been documented within the locations confirmed as mass graves.

According to Gara, the process of assessing the locations and exhuming all the mortal remains has been completed, while the materials have been sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for further legal examinations and DNA analyses.

He explained that identification through DNA may take longer, while family members will be notified as soon as the institutions receive the results of the analyses. Gara stressed that every action falling within the competence of Kosovo’s institutions will be handled as a priority and professionally, and that informing the families will be one of the immediate steps after the DNA report is received.

Following the completion of the fieldwork, procedures will continue with forensic examinations and genetic identification, with the aim of determining the identities of the victims and taking further steps, including officially notifying the families.

The Government Commission on Missing Persons thanked the teams and institutions involved, as well as the families of missing persons and the “Voice of Parents” Families’ Association, for their cooperation throughout the process.

The post Excavations Conclude in Zubin Potok, Mortal Remains of 23 People Found appeared first on Albeu.com.

Kushtrim Gara, of the Government Commission on Missing Persons, announced that work had concluded at the suspected mass grave sites.

According to him, after approximately four weeks of work, the process of exhuming the skeletal remains has also been completed.

“This involved around four weeks of work, from the end of the month until today. It can now be confirmed that the area has been classified among the confirmed mass grave locations. The process has been completed with regard to the assessment of the sites and the exhumation of all the mortal remains, which were then sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for further legal examinations, including DNA analysis,” Gara declared.

Asked when the victims’ family members would be informed, Gara explained that identification through DNA analysis requires more time. He stressed that the families would be notified immediately after the institutions receive the analysis results.

“Every matter within the competence of Kosovo’s institutions will be addressed with priority and professionalism. Identification through DNA analysis may take a little longer. As soon as we receive the DNA report, we will take the necessary steps, while notifying the families will be one of the immediate actions. This part will require a little more time,” he said.

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