The topic of missing persons is still one of the most important human rights issues that Kosovo continues to face. Over 1,640 persons remain missing from the war in 1999 — over 1,100 Albanians, 400 Serbs and the remainder belonging to other minority groups, particularly Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians.

At the end of the conflict it was estimated that over 5,000 people were missing, although that number has reduced over the years, largely due to the steady uncovering of mass graves. Despite the progress, dealing with missing persons is a long and intricate process that starts with the atrocities themselves and continues to this day, more than two decades later.

To mark the International Day of the Disappeared (August 30), K2.0’s Dafina Halili speaks to EULEX Deputy Director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Tarja Formisto about the work done to establish the fate of Kosovo’s missing persons and the complexities that she and her team encounter.K

This podcast is produced with the financial support of the European Union. While the responsibility for its content belongs only to Kosovo 2.0 and the Humanitarian Law Center in Kosovo, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.