Helena Ranta: No Massacre of Albanians in Racak

[Andrej Tisma]

Finnish pathologist Helena Ranta has expressed lack of comprehension
regarding the work of the UN's Hague tribunal in the case of the so-called
massacre of Racak.


Berliner Zeitung, Saturday, January 17, 2004
No interest in fallen Serbs

The German original is at
http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/politik/308862.html


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Berliner Zeitung, Saturday, January 17, 2004

No interest in fallen Serbs

Work of the Hague tribunal in Racak case criticized

SARAJEVO/HELSINKI, January - Finnish pathologist Helena Ranta has expressed
lack of comprehension regarding the work of the UN's Hague tribunal in the
case of the so-called massacre of Racak. In an interview with "Berliner
Zeitung", the head of the forensic team sent by the EU to investigate
occurrences in the Kosovo village of Racak in January, 1999, criticized that
indications of serious fighting between Serbian soldiers and Albanian
fighters on the night of 15th to 16th of January, 1999, in the Racak area
had been inadequately pursued.

The tragedy in the Kosovo village exactly five years ago in which more than
40 Albanians died was used by Western politicians to convince the public of
the necessity of the approaching NATO attack on Yugoslavia. U.S. diplomat
William Walker played a central role.

The chief of OSCE's Kosovo mission immediately accused the Serbs of having
summarily executed 45 unarmed Albanian civilians in Racak. The Serbian side
rejected this view and spoke about UCK fighters fallen in battle.

Photos not published

Ranta said she knows that "KLA fighters were buried near to Racak" at that
time. "I had already gotten information proving that there several Serbian
soldiers were also shot. Unfortunately, we will probably never find out the
exact number of the Serbs that fell on that night." The question needs to be
asked "why the Tribunal is not interested in this number."

Ranta criticized that the indictment against the Yugoslav ex-president
Milosevic in the Racak case largely follows the version of events put
forward by Walker. "If ambassador Walker says that there has been a massacre
in Racak, that statement has no legal effect. Even at that time I expressed
that the OSCE observers had forgotten all the steps one usually expects by
way of protection of the scene: its isolation, the exclusion of unauthorized
persons as well as gathering of evidence."

Ranta demanded the publishing of the pictures of two other photographers in
addition to the OSCE photos of the scene which were also taken a few hours
before the arrival of the OSCE observers. The pictures showed "that at least
one of the bodies was later moved. This body did not appear in the OSCE
pictures."

Left in a lurch

During the days before beginning of the NATO attacks on Yugoslavia it was
clear "that a whole series of governments had an interest in a version of
Racak events which held only the Serbian side responsible," said Ranta.
"However, I could not provide them with this version."

She had gotten her instructions from the German diplomat, Ambassador Paul,
the representative of the German EU presidency of that time, who asked her
to prepare a written statement. "Afterwards I had to show this individual
statement to William Walker, who was obviously far from enthusiastic when he
read it." Nevertheless, she agreed to participate in the important news
conference on March 17, 1999. "On that occasion, I sat together with the
German ambassador in Belgrade, Gruber, and a Finnish diplomat on the stage.
I hoped that both men would support me." Unfortunately, that was not the
case. "Instead, I had the feeling of having been left in a lurch," said
Ranta.

As a the result of this news conference dominated by Walker, most media
considered the version of a Serbian massacre over Albanian civilians
confirmed. Few days later the NATO air attacks on Yugoslavia began.