Representatives of the families of missing Albanian persons from Kosovo, at a conference held in Belgrade attended by Serbian institutional representatives, called on Serbia to provide full and concrete answers about the fate of the missing.
“We ask that the agreements signed between the two states be implemented in practice. Families do not need political statements, but accurate information. From Serbia, we expect full transparency, the handover of all data, and the involvement of Kosovo experts in every stage of searching potential locations. Every delay diminishes the hope and dignity of the families,” said Gjyle Haziri from the Resource Center for Missing Persons.
Representatives of Albanian and Serb families from Kosovo, sitting together at the conference ahead of Human Rights Day on December 10, demanded faster progress in the search process, improved institutional cooperation, and accelerated work at all possible mass grave sites.
“Families seek the truth and accountability. This is our right. The issue of missing persons is, above all, a humanitarian and civilizational matter, not a political one,” said Natasha Şćepanović from the Association of Families of Missing Serbs from Kosovo, as reported by RTK.
The Serbian Government Commission for Missing Persons stated that, at the request of the Kosovo side, searches are ongoing at several potential mass grave locations. They added that the issue has been raised at the highest level of the Brussels dialogue, but the process has stalled.
“It is crucial for the process to restart and for politics to step aside. Our duty is to put pressure on institutions and stand by the families. These are not statistics — until the last missing person is found, the work is not finished,” said Mërgim Memović from the Resource Center for Missing Persons.
At the conference, it was emphasized that 1,580 people remain unaccounted for. Families stressed that they will not give up their demands for accelerating the process, and that without resolving the issue of missing persons, there can be no sustainable dialogue or genuine reconciliation.
