EULEX stops Goraždevac attack investigation

28 december 2010, kl 14:05Skrivet av andjeloAnmäl ! 

EULEX stops Goraždevac attack investigation

25 December 2010

EULEX has halted the investigation into the terrorist attack in the village of Goraždevac, Tanjug has learned from victim Bogdan Bukumirić, who barely survived. Two Serbian children were killed and four other young people seriously injured in the 2003 attack. Bukumirić,who suffered seven gunshot wounds and barely survived, has just found out about the “closure” of the investigation from a response to a letter that he sent to EULEX Chief Xavier Bout de Marnhac on November 3, seeking to be informed whether the investigation related to the Goraždevac case had been reopened and whether any new information arose. The written reply that Bukumirić forwarded to Tanjug, which was signed by the Head of EULEX Thomas Muhlmann, says that “EULEX Kosovo police did reinvestigate the case.” "So far, no suspects could be identified. However, should additional relevant information arise, the investigation will be reopened again,” the letter said. Muhlmann informed Bukumirić about the Human Rights Review Panel, as “an integral part of the EULEX Kosovo accountability mechanism,” which represents “an independent body mandated to examine complaints from any person claiming to be victim of human rights violation by EULEX mission in the conduct of its executive mandate.” However, the victim was immediately drawn attention to the fact that “the Panel is not a judicial or disciplinary body and is not empowered to award financial compensation.” On August 13, 2003, a number of Albanian separatists were hidden in the bushes on the bank of the Bistrica River near Goraždevac, and were shooting from behind at children and young people who were spending their summer break swimming. The Albanian extremists killed Ivan Jovović (19) and Panto Dakić (12), and wounded Dragana Srbljak (13), Marko Bogićević (12), Đorđe Ugrenović (20) and Bukumirić, who was 15 years old at the time. Since 2007, Bukumirić has on a number of occasions addressed UNMIK heads with the request to be informed about the results of the investigation. He pointed out that he was embittered to see that those who were supposed to take care of the rule of law in Kosovo, were, seven years later, practically saying he should not expect that the perpetrators of the crime would ever be brought to justice.