Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PRISTINA126
2007-02-21 16:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Pristina
Cable title:
KOSOVO: SERBIAN JUDGE ALLOWS EXPLORATORY DIG AT
how-toVZCZCXYZ0009 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHPS #0126 0521637 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 211637Z FEB 07 FM USOFFICE PRISTINA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7034 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1033 RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK RHFMISS/AFSOUTH NAPLES IT RHMFISS/CDR TF FALCON RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUEPGEA/CDR650THMIGP SHAPE BE RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUFOANA/USNIC PRISTINA SR
C O N F I D E N T I A L PRISTINA 000126
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, DEPT FOR DRL,
INL, EUR/SCE AND S/WCI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2017
TAGS: PHUM KJUS PGOV
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: SERBIAN JUDGE ALLOWS EXPLORATORY DIG AT
SUSPECTED MASS GRAVE SITE
Classified By: COM KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L PRISTINA 000126
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, DEPT FOR DRL,
INL, EUR/SCE AND S/WCI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2017
TAGS: PHUM KJUS PGOV
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: SERBIAN JUDGE ALLOWS EXPLORATORY DIG AT
SUSPECTED MASS GRAVE SITE
Classified By: COM KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
1. (U) This is a joint EMBASSY Belgrade/U.S. Office Pristina
cable.
2. (C) In a meeting on February 13 at the Belgrade District
Court, Judge Milan Dilparic agreed to permit an exploratory
dig at the site just over the administrative boundary line
(ABL),where it is suspected that up to several hundred
bodies may have been buried in 1999. Months ago, UNMIK DOJ
Director Al Moskowitz had turned over information to
Dilparic, including summaries of witness statements, to
support UNMIK's request for a court order to permit
excavation of the site. Despite this, and a joint visit to
the site last year, Diparic had still not issued the order.
3. (C) Belgrade authorities met with Moskowitz along with
representatives of EMBASSY Belgrade and the US Office
Pristina, Resident Legal Advisors Sam Nazzaro and Sarah Lum,
respectively, as well as Dubravko Bolsec, regional
representative of Ambasssador-at-Large for War Crimes. At the
start of the meeting, Dilparic bemoaned at length the lack of
specific information available to help pinpoint where the
excavation should occur, and the possibility that the site
was now paved over with a road or parking lot. Moskowitz then
handed him a photograph of the site, which had been marked to
show the specific location where bodies had been seen by one
of the witnesses. Dilparic grumbled that he had not seen the
photograph before, but made a quick about face and said he
agreed that an exploratory dig could go forward on the basis
of the available information. However, he conditioned his
approval upon UNMIK's submission of a written proposal
detailing how it would be done and what the estimated cost
would be, cautioning that court funds were scarce. Moskowitz
said he expected to submit such a proposal in about two
weeks.
4. (C) The head of the Belgrade office of missing persons,
who was also at the meeting, stated that his office had some
funds (about 10-12,000 euros) and committed those funds to
support the exploratory dig. Moskowitz suggested that UNMIK
might be able to cover the excavation expenses, to which
Dilparic responded he would be grateful, though insisting on
retaining control regardless of who footed the bill.
5. (C) COMMENT: This was a productive meeting, with a welcome
agreement by Belgrade officials to allow -- and even partly
finance -- an exploratory dig. We are grateful for the
coordination between RLAs and the regional S/WCI
representative. We will continue to pursue this issue in
close coordination. Dilparic remarked at the end of the
meeting that the recent regional war crimes conference in
Nis, organized by RLA Nazzaro for prosecutors and judges from
Serbia and UNMIK had been worthwhile, and suggested meeting
more often -- something we strongly support. END COMMENT.
6. (SBU) U.S. Office Pristina clears this cable in its
entirety for release to U.N. Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari.
KAIDANOW
KAIDANOW
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NSC FOR BRAUN, USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI, DEPT FOR DRL,
INL, EUR/SCE AND S/WCI
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2017
TAGS: PHUM KJUS PGOV
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: SERBIAN JUDGE ALLOWS EXPLORATORY DIG AT
SUSPECTED MASS GRAVE SITE
Classified By: COM KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).
1. (U) This is a joint EMBASSY Belgrade/U.S. Office Pristina
cable.
2. (C) In a meeting on February 13 at the Belgrade District
Court, Judge Milan Dilparic agreed to permit an exploratory
dig at the site just over the administrative boundary line
(ABL),where it is suspected that up to several hundred
bodies may have been buried in 1999. Months ago, UNMIK DOJ
Director Al Moskowitz had turned over information to
Dilparic, including summaries of witness statements, to
support UNMIK's request for a court order to permit
excavation of the site. Despite this, and a joint visit to
the site last year, Diparic had still not issued the order.
3. (C) Belgrade authorities met with Moskowitz along with
representatives of EMBASSY Belgrade and the US Office
Pristina, Resident Legal Advisors Sam Nazzaro and Sarah Lum,
respectively, as well as Dubravko Bolsec, regional
representative of Ambasssador-at-Large for War Crimes. At the
start of the meeting, Dilparic bemoaned at length the lack of
specific information available to help pinpoint where the
excavation should occur, and the possibility that the site
was now paved over with a road or parking lot. Moskowitz then
handed him a photograph of the site, which had been marked to
show the specific location where bodies had been seen by one
of the witnesses. Dilparic grumbled that he had not seen the
photograph before, but made a quick about face and said he
agreed that an exploratory dig could go forward on the basis
of the available information. However, he conditioned his
approval upon UNMIK's submission of a written proposal
detailing how it would be done and what the estimated cost
would be, cautioning that court funds were scarce. Moskowitz
said he expected to submit such a proposal in about two
weeks.
4. (C) The head of the Belgrade office of missing persons,
who was also at the meeting, stated that his office had some
funds (about 10-12,000 euros) and committed those funds to
support the exploratory dig. Moskowitz suggested that UNMIK
might be able to cover the excavation expenses, to which
Dilparic responded he would be grateful, though insisting on
retaining control regardless of who footed the bill.
5. (C) COMMENT: This was a productive meeting, with a welcome
agreement by Belgrade officials to allow -- and even partly
finance -- an exploratory dig. We are grateful for the
coordination between RLAs and the regional S/WCI
representative. We will continue to pursue this issue in
close coordination. Dilparic remarked at the end of the
meeting that the recent regional war crimes conference in
Nis, organized by RLA Nazzaro for prosecutors and judges from
Serbia and UNMIK had been worthwhile, and suggested meeting
more often -- something we strongly support. END COMMENT.
6. (SBU) U.S. Office Pristina clears this cable in its
entirety for release to U.N. Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari.
KAIDANOW
KAIDANOW