VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBW #1153/01 2000902
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 190902Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9027
INFO RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUCNFB/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA 3501

UNCLAS BELGRADE 001153 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR S/WCI AMBASSADOR WILLIAMSON 
DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/SCE 
DOJ FOR CARL ALEXANDRE 
FBI FOR JOHN PATERINI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM PINR PGOV KJUS PREL SR
SUBJECT: SERBIA - SUSTAINING PRESSURE ON SERBIA 
ON THE BYTYQI MURDER CASE 
 
REFS:  2005 BELGRADE 3239 and previous 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The highest levels of the GOS 
continue to assure us that solving the 1999 
murders of the three Amcit Bytyqi brothers 
remains one of their foremost law enforcement 
priorities.  Nonetheless, five years after the 
discovery of the bodies, no indictments have been 
handed down.  Intensive USG pressure has produced 
results over the last year -- including the first 
arrests in the case, sustained high-level GOS 
attention, the appointment of a more activist war 
crimes police chief, and the discovery of 
substantial new information.  While the murderers 
have not yet been identified, investigators are 
optimistic they will solve the case.  We strongly 
recommend continued USG pressure on the 
authorities to produce results, including: a) 
formal USG (FBI is pursuing a parallel U.S. 
investigation) requests for access to case files 
and witnesses, and b) a substantial private and 
public focus on the Bytyqi case by S/WCI 
Ambassador Williamson during his visit to Serbia 
next week.  End Summary. 
 
----------- 
Background 
----------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) This cable is intended to add to 
information reported previously (reftels) 
regarding developments in the Bytyqi case.  Much 
of the information reported here derives from a 
meeting DCM hosted on 6/9 with local police 
investigators, prosecutors and the investigative 
judge working on the Bytyqi case.  Embassy 
officials used that event to push for accelerated 
action, to urge greater cooperation among the 
various institutions working on it, and to learn 
of the most recent developments in the case. 
 
------------ 
DEVELOPMENTS 
------------ 
 
¶3.  (SBU) There have been numerous developments 
in recent months: 
 
-- The investigators have divided the case into 3 phases: 
1) The brothers' illegal crossing of the ABL with Kosovo 
and their detention for several days in the Prokuplje 
prison; 2) their transfer from Prokuplje prison to the 
Petrovo Selo training camp; and 3) their illegal detention 
and murder at the Petrovo Selo camp. 
 
-- The investigators already have a fairly detailed picture 
of what had happened in phase 1 and 2, but key events 
(including who pulled the trigger) in phase 3 still remain 
undiscovered. The investigators' strategy is to obtain 
information about phase 3 by interrogating the participants 
of phase 2 and those individuals known to be present during 
phase 3. 
 
-- On March 1, 2006, Serbian police arrested two suspects - 
Sreten Popovic, former deputy commander of Petrovo Selo and 
Milos Stojanovic, Popovic's subordinate.  At the same time, 
the War Crimes prosecutor requested a formal investigation 
into the case. According to Serbian Law, the suspects need 
to either be indicted or released from detention within six 
months of their initial arrest (in this case, by September 
1, 2006).  Both are still in detention, and neither is 
cooperating with investigators.  Popovic and Stojanovic are 
brothers-in-law of each other. 
 
-- Police officials have learned new information 
from the driver (FNU Nikolic) who transported the 
Bytyqi brothers from the Prokuplje prison (where 
they were incarcerated for illegally crossing the 
border) to Petrovo Selo.  Nikolic indicated that 
a group of approximately nine JSO (Unit for 
Special Operations, or "Red Berets") instructors 
were in the camp around the time of the killings 
to conduct training for 63 trainees from the 
Special Police Units (PJP) of the regular police. 
 
The presence of such a significant number of JSO 
and PJP personnel at Petrovo Selo was not 
previously known to investigators.  Investigators 
believe they have information confirming that the 
trainees arrived at Petrovo Selo on July 7, 1999, 
i.e., the day before the Bytyqi brothers were 
brought there and approximately three days before 
they were killed.  The investigating judge 
assured us he would question all JSO and PJP 
persons known to have been present on the site at 
the time. 
 
--  Nikolic further told police that the 
murderers of the Bytyqi brothers were from the 
JSO contingent present at the camp.  He also 
reportedly asserted that Sreten Popovic knows the 
identity of the killers.  (Popovic is apparently 
standing by his story that he handed the Bytyqi 
brothers over to three unknown persons.)  Police 
have told us that ballistics analysis of a bullet 
found in one of the brother's bodies confirmed 
that it was from the same type of weapon commonly 
used by the JSO instructors.  (Note:  The JSO is 
the disbanded unit that was earlier headed by 
Milorad Ulemek "Legija," the suspected ringleader 
in the assassination of PM Djindjic.  Legija has 
also been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the 
assassination of President Stambolic in 2000.) 
 
-- (SBU)  Police have also told us that they have found 
inconsistencies in "Guri" Radosavljevic's claim that he had 
been absent from Petrovo Selo during the period of the 
detention and murder of the Bytyqi brothers.  Police have 
told us that there exists at least one document signed by 
Radosavljevic during the period of detention of the Bytyqi 
brothers, which might indicate his presence at the camp. 
Moreover, police officials told us that Legija and 
Radosavljevic were on close terms during the period of the 
Bytyqi brothers' murder, alleging that Legija even came 
with a helicopter to pick up Radosavljevic's daughter from 
the camp at roughly the time the Bytyqi brothers were at 
Petrovo Selo.  (The daughter was reportedly visiting her 
father, Radosavljevic, for several days in Petrovo Selo.) 
Numerous sources have confirmed to us that Radosavljevic 
fled Serbia earlier this year, probably in late March or 
early April.  Investigators have told us that Radosavljevic 
is paying legal fees for Sreten Popovic and Milos 
Stojanovic's (well-known local attorney Bozo Prelevic).  A 
senior GOS official also told us that Popovic and 
Stojanovic were very close to Radosavljevic, a relationship 
stemming from their service in Kosovo together. 
 
-- Vlastimir "Rodja" Djordjevic, also possibly implicated 
in the Bytyqi murders, remains a fugitive.  Authorities 
believe that Djordjevic, who is also being sought by the 
ICTY, is in hiding in Russia. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Substantial USG pressure on Serbian 
authorities has been crucial to ensuring high- 
level GOS attention to this case.  In addition to 
the Embassy's full-court press, interventions by 
U/S Burns, A/S Harty and other senior Washington- 
based officials have been tremendously useful in 
reinforcing the message.  There is no question 
that the high-level attention from the USG and 
GOS has ensured that the frequently-feuding 
police and investigative judge continue to treat 
this case as a top priority.  It is critical to 
sustain this pressure, since the upcoming 
September 1 deadline for a decision on whether to 
indict or release Popovic and Stojanovic will 
mark an important decision point.  We strongly 
urge Ambassador Williamson to make the Bytyqi 
case a prominent theme of his discussions in 
Belgrade next week.  We would also urge the FBI 
and DOJ to move forward with formal requests to 
Serbian judicial authorities for access to the 
entire case file and to witnesses/suspects. 
 
POLT