Albania vetoes international probe of organ harvesting

TIRANA, Albania

Albania is ready to probe allegations of organ harvesting during the Kosovo conflict, but says any investigation on its territory must be carried out by domestic authorities. After a meeting with visiting Council of Europe special rapporteur Dick Marty, Justice Minister Enkeiled Alibeaj told reporters the government is “open to all demands” for an inquiry based on CoE criteria. But he also said only domestic prosecutors were authorised to carry out investigations on Albanian territory, ruling out an international probe.

Serbia alleges that members of the now disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) kidnapped Serb civilians during the Kosovo conflict, took them to camps in northern Albania and removed their organs for sale on the black market.