[JURIST] Perpetrators of war crimes in Serbia must not escape justice [press release], Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] said Tuesday. The statement came as the group published a Serbian version of a report [report, PDF], originally published in June, which “analyses the problems within the prosecutorial and judicial system in Serbia,” as well as identifies obstacles to the investigation and prosecution of crimes under international law. AI’s main concern is the lack of progress that has been made since this report was issued. Specifically, Serbia has failed “to investigate high ranking military and police officials” involved in war crimes during the 1998-99 war. AI has proposed a series of measures for the Serbian government to utilize in tackling “continuing impunity for crimes under international law.” John Dalhuisen, AI’s Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia said in the press release, “[p]rogress will only be achieved with a commitment by the Serbian government to implement concrete measures to ensure justice for all.”

Tensions remain high between the Kosovo and Serbia since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, partly due to Serbia’s refusal to recognize Kosovo as an independent nation. According to AI, the UN Mission in Kosovo [official website] failed to adequately investigate missing person reports in the aftermath of the 1998-1999 Kosovo war with Serbia [BBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive]. A 1999 UN resolution [JURIST report] charged the UN Mission in Kosovo with protecting and promoting human rights in Kosovo in accordance with “internationally recognized standards of human rights.” Based on more than a decade of research and more than 150 complaints, AI contends that the UN Mission in Kosovo “signally failed” to investigate potential criminal liability, leading to a “climate of impunity” that persists in Kosovo [JURIST report].