"Killings of reporters in Kosovo must be investigated"

The killing and kidnapping of journalists in Kosovo in the period from 1998 to 2000, the period that encompasses the mandate of the Specialist Chambers for KLA crimes must be the topic of the investigation of the Specialist Prosecutor's Office and prosecuted at the Specialist Chambers.

This is the case because these 14 unresolved cases of kidnappings and murders represent the largest number crimes carried out with impunity, targeting reporters in Europe today, the Commission said in a press release singed by its president, Veran Matic.

The demolition of a memorial, the markings installed at the place of kidnapping of Djuro Slavuja and Ranko Perenic, must be effectively investigated and prosecuted by Kosovo's provisional prosecutorial and judicial organs because a mere denial of the crime, is justification of it, and that is inadmissible.

The search for the missing, the disclosure of their destiny, is a civilizing duty, and when it comes to journalists, it is needed in an even more pronounced manner, as it directly concerns the freedom of journalists and the media. Impunity directly leads to censorship, self-censorship, new restrictions and threats, and open violence against journalists.

That is why we expect, as has been initiated by the Association of Journalists and the Media in both Albanian and Serbian languages, as confirmed by the Resolution of the European Federation of Journalists in June last year, that a mixed Commission be established to deal with resolving these cases and putting pressure on institutions to conduct effective investigations.

The Commission Investigating Murder of Journalists has begun collecting documentation and information about these cases, and will very gladly share it with a a...