Human trafficking in Kosovo

Since the establishment of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in 1999, it has been known to the international community that Kosovo is a major destination territory for human trafficking, women and young girls trafficked into forced prostitution. According to Amnesty International, most of women are trafficked from Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine.[1]

In the 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report, Kosovo was identified[2] as transit and destination country for woman and children, victims of the human trafficking, especially the forced prostitution.

Origins of Demand

Human trafficking in Kosovo has seen "a steep rise" since NATO troops and UN administrators took over Kosovo. According to Amnesty International, NATO servicemen and UN staff "generate 80% of the income" for pimps and human traffickers. UN Department of peacekeeping claimed that "peacekeepers have come to be seen as part of the problem in trafficking rather than the solution". Amnesty found no evidence of criminal proceedings against NATO military personnel in their home countries.[3]

Source countries

Amnesty International reports that, "Some 406 foreign women were assisted by the IOM in Kosovo between December 2000 and December 2003. According to the IOM, 48 per cent of women who have entered its repatriation program - enabling them to return to their home country - originated from Moldova. Of the remainder, 21 per cent came from Romania, 14 per cent from Ukraine, six per cent from Bulgaria, three per cent from Albania and the remainder from Russia and Serbia proper."[3]

Reluctance of Kosovo administration

2010 Trafficking in Persons Report said "the Kosovo government did not follow the minimal measures to eliminate for the trafficking elimination". This regards to both forced prostitution, and forced begging.[4]

Other

Carla Del Ponte, the former chief U.N. war crimes prosecutor, claimed in her memoirs, that at least 300 ethnic Serbs were murdered and their organs stolen by the Kosovo Liberation Army during and after the Kosovo War in 1999.[5] These claims were met with criticism in Albania and abroad.[6]

In 2009, Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukčević claimed there was significant progress in investigation of the case of the yellow house, located in Northern Albania, where organs were harvested from kidnapped Serbs, non-Albanians from Kosovo, Czech and Russian citizens. Organs were later sold in the black market.[7] The Albanian administration of Kosovo refused to cooperate with Serbian and international investigators on the case, but several arrests of medics practicing illegal surgery were made in Kosovo, allegedly in connection to the case.[8][9]

On 14 December 2010, Dick Marty published a report for adoption by the Council of Europe alleging inhuman treatment of people and killing of prisoners with the purpose of removal and illicit trafficking in human organs in Kosovo, involving Hashim Thaçi, the Kosovo prime minister and former Kosovo Liberation Army political leader.[10] As reported by several international,[11] Serbian,[12] Kosovan[13] and Albanian[14] news agencies, in an interview for Albanian TV Klan on 24 December 2010, Thaçi threatened to publish a list of Albanians who collaborated in providing information to Dick Marty for this report. On 25 January 2011, the Council of Europe endorsed the report and called for a full and serious investigation into its contents.[15][16] Since the issuance of the report, however, senior sources in the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and many members of the European Parliament have expressed serious doubts regarding the report and its foundations, believing Marty failed to provide "any evidence" concerning the allegations.[17] In 2015, his effort to fight organised crime in Kosovo was vindicated, when Thaçi was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. The second investigation by Dick Marty in 2011 for the Council of Europe supported another finding by Swiss prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, adding that Thaçi had been involved in illegal organ trafficking. In Sep 14, 2021, a Dutch-based Kosovan court started proceedings against Thaçi, who remains under prosecution, despite lobbying efforts by Albanian-Americans to free him.[18]

In February 2011, the news website France 24 obtained classified documents[19] showing that the UN had heard allegations in 2003 regarding the trafficking of human organs, with some named victims and testimonials from involved Albanians. A 2003 report about this matter describes the criminal involvement of senior commanders of the KLA. [19]

See also

References
  1. "Amnesty International - Kosovo: Facts and figures on trafficking of women and girls for forced prostitution in Kosovo Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine"
  2. "Trafficking in Persons Report 2010". Archived from the original on 15 June 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  3. Kosovo (Serbia and Montenegro): "So does it mean that we have the rights?" Protecting the human rights of women and girls trafficked for forced prostitution in Kosovo (Amnesty International, 2004)
  4. "Current Events". Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  5. "Coverup on Serbian-Organ Harvesting: 'Pro-American' Kosovo Prime Minister Thaci Oversaw the Scheme". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  6. Serbs' Claim of Kosovo Organ Ring Is Investigated
  7. "B92 - News - Prosecutor: Names uncovered in 'yellow house' case". B92. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  8. "Doctors who Harvested Serbs' Organs Arrested?". Archived from the original on 26 September 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  9. "BBC News - End of the road for Kosovo organ claims?". BBC News. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  10. Inhuman treatment of people and illicit trafficking in human organs in Kosovo, Council of Europe
  11. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in West Balkan languages: "Tači će objaviti spisak Albanaca koji su pomagali Martiju" (Thaci will publish the list of Albanians who were helping Marty)
  12. B92 in English: "Thaci to release names of Marty’s helpers" Archived 2010-12-28 at the Wayback Machine
  13. Kosova Info: "Thaçi ka dosje të bashkëpunëtorëve të Martyt" (Thaci has record of Marty's collaborators) Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  14. Info Albania: Thaci ka dosje te bashkepunetoreve te Martyt Archived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine (Thaci has record of Marty's collaborators)
  15. 'Kosovo physicians accused of illegal organs removal racket' The Guardian, 14 December 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2011
  16. "Council Adopts Kosovo Organ Trafficking Resolution". Balkan Insight. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  17. Politician angers MEPs over Kosovo organ harvesting claim (The Irish Times)
  18. "Controversial Kosovan court begins investigation of alleged war crimes" The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  19. "Europe - UN knew about Kosovo organ trafficking, report says". France 24. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
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