UN reports progress on return of all Kosovo Albanian detainees from Serbia

A senior official of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) today expressed hope that all Kosovo Albanian detainees held in Serbian prisons could soon be transferred back to the province.

Jean-Christian Cady, deputy head of UNMIK, told the Kosovo Interim Administrative Council (IAC) that the returns could take place as early as March. There are presently 162 Kosovo Albanian detainees in the Serbian prisons.

Mr. Cady, who heads a branch of UNMIK dealing with police and justice issues, known as Pillar 1, said that the Belgrade authorities had already handed over to the Mission a large number of the detainees’ files. After studying these files, he would determine which detainees were political prisoners and could be released on their transfer to UN control, and which should continue to serve out their sentence in Kosovo prisons.

According to Mr. Cady, the Serb approach in discussions about these transfers was very positive.

Briefing the IAC on the situation regarding voluntary returns of the displaced and refugees to Kosovo, UNMIK officials explained that the return programme was entirely voluntary and that economic prospects for the returnees were an important aspect of UN efforts.