The European Union has confirmed that EULEX forensic experts are assisting Kosovo authorities in the ongoing examination of a suspected mass grave site in Zubin Potok, while emphasizing that the criminal investigation remains entirely under the jurisdiction of Kosovo’s institutions.
Responding to questions about the investigation, an EU spokesperson said that on July 28, forensic specialists from the EULEX Forensic Medicine Team supported colleagues from Kosovo’s Institute of Forensic Medicine in assessing the site where an unmarked grave containing missing persons is suspected to be located.
“We confirm that on July 28, forensic experts from the EULEX Forensic Medicine Team assisted their colleagues from the Kosovo Institute of Forensic Medicine in assessing the site for the purpose of identifying an unmarked grave containing missing persons in Zubin Potok,” the spokesperson said.
The EU stressed that EULEX is not conducting its own criminal investigation.
“EULEX is not carrying out any criminal investigations, as these fall under the competence of the Kosovo authorities. Assistance in clarifying the fate of persons missing from the conflict remains a very important element of the EU-facilitated Dialogue,” the spokesperson added.
The European Union reiterated that resolving the fate of missing persons remains one of the key humanitarian issues within the EU-facilitated Dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.
The spokesperson also highlighted the role of the Joint Commission on Missing Persons, established under the 2023 Declaration on Missing Persons and chaired by the European Union Special Representative for the Belgrade-Prishtina Dialogue.
According to the EU, the commission was created to oversee the implementation of the declaration, support efforts to clarify the fate of those still missing from the Kosovo conflict, and help provide answers and closure to their families.
The EU further noted that it has provided financial assistance to Kosovo’s Institute of Forensic Medicine in support of efforts to locate, identify, and investigate the remains of missing persons.
The statement comes as Kosovo authorities continue excavations at a site in the village of Kalludër, Zubin Potok, where investigators suspect a mass grave may contain the remains of a group of 23 intellectuals from Mitrovica who disappeared during the 1998–1999 Kosovo war.
