The discovery of human remains at several sites in Zubin Potok, which are suspected of belonging to victims of the last war in Kosovo, could help clarify the fate of missing persons and aid investigations into unresolved crimes from the 1998-1999 period.

Following the discovery of the remains, Kosovo’s justice institutions have begun forensic examinations and DNA analyses. The aim is to identify the victims and determine the circumstances of their deaths, a process that could provide answers to the families of missing persons, who have waited for decades to learn the truth about their loved ones.

The latest discoveries have brought renewed attention to the issue of mass graves and the need for greater institutional commitment to locating suspected sites and documenting war crimes.

Austrian expert Gunther Fehlinger spoke to “Bota sot” about the significance of this development.

Fehlinger considers the discovery of human remains at several locations in Zubin Potok to be an event of particular importance for Kosovo, the families of the missing, and efforts to investigate war crimes that remain unresolved.

According to him, the work must be carried out to high professional standards, in compliance with the law and the rules of forensic medicine. Only in this way can the victims’ identities and potential responsibility be accurately established on the basis of verifiable evidence.

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

The findings must be handled with dignity, forensic professionalism, and full legal care. DNA analysis must be used to establish the identity of each victim, while prosecutors must investigate the timing, circumstances, and responsibility for each death. Before these procedures are completed, the identities of the victims or possible perpetrators should not be presented as confirmed facts,” he said.

The Austrian expert stresses that, even 27 years after the end of the war, new evidence, institutional work, and forensic investigations can lead to the discovery of unknown graves.

According to him, each identified location could bring long-awaited answers to families, but it could also contain evidence related to abductions, executions, the concealment of bodies, and attempts to obstruct justice.

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

He emphasizes that the developments in Zubin Potok make the Declaration on Missing Persons, adopted as part of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue in 2023, even more important. The document provides for cooperation in locating missing persons and exchanging relevant information.

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

The issue of missing persons cannot be treated merely as a symbolic element of the Brussels dialogue,” Fehlinger said.

According to him, the EU should link Serbia’s concrete cooperation on missing persons and evidence of war crimes to its path toward membership in the European Union, as well as to the political and financial benefits stemming from that process.

Assessing the impact of the discoveries on war crimes proceedings, Fehlinger said forensic evidence could strengthen criminal cases. It could help identify the victims, determine their number, establish patterns of crimes, and create links between different locations.

“In every trial, an individual evidentiary link must be established between the criminal offense and the accused. Delays in DNA identification can prolong investigations and court proceedings, while successful identification can consolidate cases, correct the historical record, and give families the truth they have sought for many years,” the expert said.

In conclusion, he called for the issue of missing persons not to be turned into a tool for political confrontation or interethnic tensions. Fehlinger stressed that every victim, regardless of their background, deserves identification, dignity, and justice.

“The families of the missing have waited far too long. The institutions of Kosovo and 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 clarified.

There can be no lasting normalization between Kosovo and Serbia without uncovering the truth about missing persons, accountability for war crimes, and the full identification of the locations where the victims were buried,” Gunther Fehlinger concluded for “Bota sot”.

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