Russia is investigating a criminal case against Kosovo transplantologists, some of which are high-ranking officials from Pristina, Kommersant reports.
Former staff of the Medicus Clinic, originating from Albania, Turkey and Israel, and a member of the Healthcare Ministry of Kosovo Ilir Retsay are among the suspects. Investigators say that the suspects offered to purchase kidneys of Serbians, Turks, Moldavians, Kazakhs, Belarusians and Russians for €15,000. None of 30 people accepting the deal got the cash, despite the transplantologists selling their kidneys for €80,000-100,000.
A scandal happened in 2008 after publication of a book by a former prosecutor of the Hague Court, Carl del Ponte about kidnappings of 300 Serbians, Gypsies and other citizens in Kosovo. They were taken to Albania where there kidneys and other organs were removed. The Kosovo liberation officers were involved.
Prime Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaci was one of commanders of the liberation army. Russia offered legal support to investigate the Medicus case, as part of the EULEX mission of the EU in Kosovo. EULEX planned to investigate an episode of the case on January 12.
Vladimir Markin, a spokesman of the Russian Investigative Committee, said that a criminal case was initiated for human trafficking and intentional injury of people on July 14, 2011.
