UNMIK/PR/826
Monday, 23 September 2002

No Mass Grave In Suva Reka

PRISTINA - A thorough assessment by the Office on Missing Persons and Forensics (OMPF) and the UNMIK Police Missing Persons Unit has determined that there is no mass grave near the "Balkan" factory in Suva Reka.

The team, led by an OMPF forensic archaeologist, dug nine test trenches in a rubbish dump behind the factory (the area indicated in the information received), most having a depth of more than three metres. No evidence of human remains were found, and analysis of the soil layers indicated that the earth had never been significantly disturbed.

OMPF was acting on allegations made in August by Rada Trajkovic, a member of the Coordination Centre for Kosovo and Metohija. In statements made to Serbian media, she had claimed that a mass grave had been photographed and that pieces of clothing and other samples had been taken for analysis and identification of bodies. The OMPF assessment found that the site had not been disturbed, and there was no evidence of a previous investigation.

OMPF is ready to act upon new information about the existence of previously unknown graves, however its success depends on the quality of the information provided.