EULEX, Albania to Discuss Organ Trade Report

A delegation from the Special Prosecutor’s Office of Kosovo is due to meet with Albania’s general prosecutor over allegations made by a Council of Europe rapporteur that top Kosovo officials were part of an organised crime network that trafficked organs.

Besar Likmeta

Tirana “The delegation composed of EULEX and Kosovo prosecutors is meeting the general prosecutor of Albania in order to discuss possible investigative steps in the context of the draft report by Mr. Marty,” EULEX spokesperson Karin Limdal told Balkan Insight on Monday.

Dick Marty, a Swiss MP, released a report in December that linked former Kosovo Liberation Army fighters, including Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, to organised crime and accused them of harvesting the organs of Serb prisoners and others in Albania.

The Council of Europe rapporteur criticised Albania for allegedly not cooperating in investigating the alleged abuses mentioned in the report. Kosovo and Albanian authorities have slammed the allegations as slanderous and said they will cooperate in an EULEX investigation.

A resolution based on the report, approved by the Council of Europe Legal Affairs Committee on December 16, is expected to go before the full assembly for a vote on January 25.

Both EULEX and the the Albanian general prosecutor’s office have previously said that they have found no evidence in their probes that would prove Marty’s allegations.

Following the release of the report, EULEX has sent an official request to Marty to come forward with evidence of the alleged crimes, with which they could launch an investigation, but so far have not received anything.

“We still await a reply from him,” said Limdal. “His office has confirmed that they have received our letter, but no reply yet,” she added.