K. Serb terror victims remembered 16 February 2009 | 16:40 | Source: Beta MERDARE -- A memorial service was held near Podujevo today to mark eight years since 12 Kosovo Serbs were killed in a terrorist attack. Serb National Council of Kosovo (SNV) members lit candles and placed flowers on a road in Livadice, near Podujevo, close to the administrative line between central Serbia and Kosovo. On Feb. 16, 2001, a Niš Express bus was blown up when a roadside mine was activated. The bus was one in a convoy of six vehicles taking Kosovo Serbs driven out of their homes and living in central Serbia back to the province, where they intended to visit the graves of their loved ones during a religious holiday. The convoy was escorted by KFOR soldiers. SNV president in central Kosovo Dragan Velic, who attended the ceremony today, said it was also dedicated to the numerous victims killed or kidnapped in Kosovo during the past ten years. "From this place we wish to send a message to the international missions in Kosovo that without punishing the perpetrators of all terrorist attacks against the Serbs, they cannot seek a peaceful and stable solution in this region." He added that the Serbs are demanding that UNMIK, KFOR and EULEX also find those who gave orders to carry out not just the bus bombing, but also other crimes that took place in Obilic, Staro Gacko and Goraždevac. Kosovo Albanian Florim Ejupi is the only person accused in this case. An international panel of judges in Priština found him guilty and sentenced him to 40 years in prison. But lawyer Živojin Jokanovic, who represented the victims' families in the trial, believes that Ejupi is not the sole perpetrator, and told Beta news agency that he "must have had help from at least three others". "There are certainly those who gave orders and experts who organized this crime to the last detail," said Jokanovic. http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2009 <http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=02&dd=16&nav_i d=57196> &mm=02&dd=16&nav_id=57196
