HRAP criticizes EULEX, UNMIK for human rights violations

FRANKFURT - The Human Rights Advisory Panel (HRAP) of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) recommended in its annual report for 2013 that UNMIK publicly acknowledges its mistakes to which the families of the missing persons had pointed, and recommended to the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) to conduct an investigation and provide compensation to the families for the anguish they suffered.

HRAP's presiding member Marek Nowicki concluded in the report that the only thing that the complainants received from the panel was condolence letters, which, as he stressed, is not enough.

Dusko Celic of the Pristina School of Law pointed out in his statement to daily Vesti that UNMIK did nothing to implement the decisions of the HRAP related to the kidnapping and killing of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija, although it acknowledged its own accountability for violations of the right to life and the right of access to a court.

"The head of UNMIK is even reluctant to issue a public apology to the victims' families, and offer them at least a symbolic material compensation for the mental pain and anguish caused by the murders, abductions and failure to take action to prevent such suffering and bring the perpetrators to justice," said Celic.

He also noted that the report of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, dated December 17, 2013, underlines the accountability of UNMIK but that the Serbian authorities have not yet provided any response to this.

Vesti had seen the HRAP's report stating that the panel has so far issued its opinion on 342 complaints (out of the 527 that were admissible), which were predominantly lodged by Serb families and related to cases dating back to 1999, but...