Over the years, the bodies of some of the missing have been discovered in mass graves, but for many families the wait remains the same even after 27 years.

Suspicions persist that a large number of victims may still be at mass grave sites within the territory of Serbia.

In this context, Natasha Kandiq, founder of the Humanitarian Law Center, has brought renewed attention to claims of a mass grave in the area known as the “Bean Fields” in Serbia.

She said in a post on social media platform X several days ago that as early as 2008 she had informed Serbia’s then-defense minister, Dragan Sutanovac, about the testimony of a person who claimed to have transported the bodies of Albanians killed in Kosovo to the military base in that area.

According to Kandiq, although this information had been provided, the Serbian authorities took no steps and offered no response to these claims.

The Humanitarian Law Center in Kosovo is also calling for the opening of the Serbian army archives, stressing that only access to official documentation can help clarify the fate of many missing persons.

“Twenty-seven years after the end of the war, there are still more than 1,600 missing people. The archives must be opened, information must be shared with the competent institutions, because the number is large. The international community must certainly put pressure on the parties in the dialogue to cooperate more seriously in this field,” said Amer Aliaj of the Humanitarian Law Center.

However, this is not considered the only place that raises suspicions of mass graves in Serbia. Representatives of the Coordinating Council of Family Members of Missing Persons and War Crimes say there are several other locations as well, mainly at Serbian army military bases, where war victims are suspected to have been buried.

According to them, without the opening of the archives and without the cooperation of the Serbian authorities, it remains difficult to clarify the fate of the missing persons.

“I have heard, more or less by chance, about the Bean Fields. There is a military training center there where they conduct activities. I have also heard of another place near Raska, a village called Brevenik. Serbs have also spoken about Prokuplje and many other places, meaning around 11 places. Those saying this are military officers…” said Ahmet Grajqevci of the Coordinating Council of Families of the Missing and War Crimes.

Clarifying the fate of missing persons and identifying possible mass grave sites remain among the main demands of victims’ family members, as well as one of the most sensitive issues in the process of confronting war crimes.

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These statements have once again raised questions about the fate of those who were forcibly disappeared, as well as about the responsibility authorities bear for fully uncovering the truth.

If the claims in question are confirmed, this would be a development of extraordinary importance for families who have spent more than two decades waiting to learn what happened to their loved ones.

In this situation, the question arises as to what steps Kosovo’s institutions should take to demand concrete investigations and ensure access to locations considered suspicious.

At the same time, the question also remains open as to whether the international community should increase pressure on Serbia to help clarify the fate of the war victims and identify possible mass graves.

Ministry of Justice and Commission on Missing Persons offer no response

The newspaper “Bota sot” contacted the Ministry of Justice to obtain a position regarding Natasha Kandiq’s statements about the possible existence of a mass grave in Pasuljanske Livade, in Serbia. But by the time this article was published, the Ministry of Justice had not agreed to comment on these claims.

On the same issue, “Bota sot” also sought answers from the Government Commission on Missing Persons. However, by the time of publication, this Commission had also not responded to the newspaper’s request for comment.

A full investigation is demanded into claims of a mass grave in Serbia and greater international pressure to clarify the fate of war victims in Kosovo

Security expert Fidair Berisha, in a statement to “Bota sot” on this issue, says that any new information that could help shed light on the fate of persons who went missing during the war in Kosovo must be treated with the utmost seriousness.

“Personally, I believe that any new information that could help clarify the fate of missing persons from 1999 until today should be treated with maximum seriousness. If there are claims of a mass grave in Pasuljanske Livade, Kosovo’s institutions should react immediately through official state mechanisms, requesting a full investigation and cooperation with international institutions and the relevant authorities in Serbia,” Berisha says.

According to Berisha, following Natasha Kandiq’s statement, in which she mentioned the possibility of the existence of a mass grave in Pasuljanske Livade, even greater involvement from the international community is required.

“The issue of missing persons is not only a political issue, but above all a humanitarian and human rights issue. Therefore, when such claims are made even by Serbian citizens, greater international pressure is needed to open archives, investigate every suspected location, and ensure that no information remains unused or unexamined in detail,” he says.

He underlines that the families of missing persons have waited for more than two decades and deserve to know the truth.

“For families who have spent more than two decades waiting to know the fate of their loved ones, the truth has been delayed far too long and there is no longer any reason for it to be postponed. The families of the missing are deeply disappointed and deserve justice, answers, and dignity. Society, and especially institutions, have an obligation to do everything possible until the very last missing person is found,” security expert Fidair Berisha concludes for “Bota sot”.

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