[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 167 (Tuesday, October 22, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H8364-H8365]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE EXECUTION-STYLE MURDERS
OF UNITED STATES CITIZENS YLLI, AGRON, AND MEHMET BYTYQI IN THE
REPUBLIC OF SERBIA IN JULY 1999
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 32) expressing the sense of
Congress regarding the execution-style murders of United States
citizens Ylli, Agron, and Mehmet Bytyqi in the Republic of Serbia in
July 1999.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:
H. Con. Res. 32
Whereas brothers Ylli, Agron, and Mehmet Bytyqi were
citizens of the United States, born in Chicago, Illinois, to
ethnic Albanian parents from what is today the Republic of
Kosovo, and who subsequently lived in Hampton Bays, New York;
Whereas the three Bytyqi brothers responded to the
brutality of the conflict associated with Kosovo's separation
from the Republic of Serbia and the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia of which Serbia was a constituent republic by
joining the so-called ``Atlantic Brigade'' of the Kosovo
Liberation Army in April 1999;
Whereas a Military-Technical Agreement between the
Government of Yugoslavia and the North Atlantic Council came
into effect on June 10, 1999, leading to a cessation of
hostilities;
Whereas the Bytyqi brothers were arrested on June 23, 1999,
by Serbian police within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
when the brothers accidently crossed what was then an
unmarked administrative border while escorting an ethnic
Romani family who had been neighbors to safety outside
Kosovo;
Whereas the Bytyqi brothers were jailed for 15 days for
illegal entry into the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in
Prokuplje, Serbia, until a judge ordered their release on
July 8, 1999;
Whereas instead of being released, the Bytyqi brothers were
taken by a special operations unit of the Serbian Ministry of
Internal Affairs to a training facility near Petrovo Selo,
Serbia, where all three were executed;
Whereas at the time of their murders, Ylli was 25, Agron
was 23, and Mehmet was 21 years of age;
Whereas Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was removed
from office on October 5, 2000, following massive
demonstrations protesting his refusal to acknowledge and
accept election results the month before;
Whereas in the following years, the political leadership of
Serbia has worked to strengthen democratic institutions, to
develop stronger adherence to the rule of law, and to ensure
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including
as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia evolved into a State
Union of Serbia and Montenegro in February 2003, which itself
dissolved when both republics proclaimed their respective
independence in June 2006;
Whereas the United States Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, was
informed on July 17, 2001, that the bodies of Ylli, Agron,
and Mehmet Bytyqi were found with their hands bound and
gunshot wounds to the back of their heads, buried atop an
earlier mass grave of approximately 70 bodies of murdered
civilians from Kosovo;
Whereas Serbian authorities subsequently investigated but
never charged those individuals who were part of the Ministry
of Internal Affairs chain of command related to this crime,
including former Minister of Internal Affairs Vlajko
Stojilkovic, Assistant Minister and Chief of the Public
Security Department Vlastimir Djordjevic, and special
operations training camp commander Goran ``Guri''
Radosavljevic;
Whereas Vlajko Stojilkovic died of a self-inflicted gunshot
wound in April 2002 prior to being transferred to the custody
of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia where he had been charged with crimes against
humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war during
the Kosovo conflict;
Whereas Vlastimir Djordjevic was arrested and transferred
to the custody of the International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia in June 2007, and sentenced in February
2011 to 27 years imprisonment (later reduced to 18 years) for
crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs
of war committed during the Kosovo conflict;
Whereas Goran ``Guri'' Radosavljevic is reported to reside
in Serbia, working as director of a security consulting firm
in Belgrade, and is a prominent member of the governing
political party;
Whereas the Secretary of State designated Goran
Radosavljevic of Serbia under section 7031(c) of the
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Appropriations Act, 2018 as ineligible for entry into the
United States due to his involvement in gross violations of
human rights;
Whereas two Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs officers,
Sretan Popovic and Milos Stojanovic, were charged in 2006 for
crimes associated with their involvement in the detention and
transport of the Bytyqi brothers from Prokuplje to Petrovo
Selo, but acquitted in May 2012 with an appeals court
confirming the verdict in March 2013;
Whereas the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic promised
several high ranking United States officials to deliver
justice in the cases of the deaths of Ylli, Agron, and Mehmet
Bytyqi;
Whereas no individual has ever been found guilty for the
murders of Ylli, Agron, and Mehmet Bytyqi or of any other
crimes associated with their deaths; and
Whereas no individual is currently facing criminal charges
regarding the murder of the Bytyqi brothers despite many
promises by Serbian officials to resolve the case: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
(1) those individuals responsible for the murders in July
1999 of United States citizens Ylli, Agron, and Mehmet Bytyqi
in Serbia should be brought to justice;
(2) it is reprehensible that no individual has ever been
found guilty for executing the Bytyqi brothers, or of any
other crimes associated with their deaths, and that no
individual is even facing charges for these horrible crimes;
(3) the Government of Serbia and its relevant ministries
and offices, including the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor's
Office, should make it a priority to investigate and
prosecute as soon as possible those current or former
officials believed to be responsible for their deaths,
directly or indirectly;
(4) the United States should devote sufficient resources
fully to assist and properly to monitor efforts by the
Government of Serbia and its relevant ministries and offices
to investigate and prosecute as soon as possible those
individuals believed to be responsible for their deaths,
directly or indirectly; and
(5) progress in resolving this case, or the lack thereof,
should remain a significant factor determining the further
development of relations between the United States and the
Republic of Serbia.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
[[Page H8365]]
New York (Mr. Engel) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).
General Leave
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 32.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to start by thanking Mr. Zeldin for authoring
this resolution.
This measure is one particularly close to my heart. In my career in
Congress, I have had long dealings with the Albanian community both in
the Balkans and in America, so this one really hurts since I know the
family of these three brothers who were murdered.
Ylli, Agron, and Mehmet Bytyqi were three brothers from New York
State who were killed execution-style by Serbian officials after they
mistakenly crossed the unmarked Serbia-Kosovo border. Their bodies were
discovered with their hands bound behind their backs in a mass grave in
2001.
Serbian President Vucic promised me 3 years ago that his government
would bring the murderers to justice, but this hasn't happened. In
fact, there isn't even a serious criminal investigation underway. This
is appalling.
Sadly, it is part of a pattern we see with Serbian war criminals
responsible for crimes against the people of Kosovo.
The Bytyqi brothers are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to
post-conflict justice in Serbia. We had a hearing on the Foreign
Affairs Committee several weeks ago about this very topic.
Approaching 3 years ago, the Belgrade-based Humanitarian Law Center
released a dossier detailing the murder of nearly 1,000 Kosovars,
killed by Serbs in Kosovo, then transported to Serbia, and dumped in a
mass grave.
The U.S. Government has raised this atrocity with the Serbian war
crimes prosecutor. But once again, no one has been held accountable,
although I believe with all my heart that Serbian authorities know who
is responsible for this.
Let's be clear, if Serbia wants to join the West and its
institutions, they must deal with their past and prosecute those
responsible for war crimes.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage our EU friends to hold Serbia to this
standard when considering Serbia's candidacy.
Today's resolution makes it clear that Serbia must fully investigate
the Bytyqi brothers' case and bring justice to the families of these
murdered New Yorkers. Their family currently lives in New York in Mr.
Zeldin's district.
It also calls on the U.S. Government to encourage and assist a
successful prosecution of this case.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this measure, and I again thank Mr.
Zeldin for his excellent work and partnership with me in trying to push
the Serbian Government to find justice for these New Yorkers.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this measure, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 32. I wish to start
off by thanking the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot
Engel for his long-time passion and advocacy on this very important
issue for my district, as well as Grace Meng, who also has been
supportive.
This execution-style murder of Ylli, 25 years old, Agron, 23 years
old, and Mehmet Bytyqi, 21 years old, has greatly impacted my own
district. These were three brothers born in the United States who
resided in Hampton Bays, New York.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Bytyqi brothers' murder.
In July 1999, these three brothers went overseas toward the end of the
Kosovo war and were arrested by Serbian authorities for illegally
entering the country when they accidentally crossed into Serbian-
controlled territory.
The brothers were kidnapped, murdered, and dumped into a mass grave
in Serbia by government officials still serving today.
Since taking office, I have been committed to helping the Bytyqi
family receive the justice they have long deserved.
In February, Chairman Engel and I traveled to Munich to meet with
Serbian President Vucic, where he once again promised to resolve the
case of the Bytyqi brothers.
Despite many promises by Serbian officials to resolve the case of
this state-sponsored murder, there has been no justice served.
This resolution notes that progress with this investigation should
remain a significant factor that determines the further developments of
U.S.-Serbian relations.
The Bytyqi brothers gave their lives to fight injustice. Now, we must
return this favor and deliver justice for their family.
Mr. Speaker, I again thank Chairman Engel and lead Republican McCaul
for their leadership and assistance on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers and am prepared to
close.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all of my colleagues to support
this important resolution.
For those in Serbia listening to today's floor debate, it is an
important lesson that, 20 years later, we have not forgotten. We will
not forget. We will continue to strongly encourage them to do the right
thing. This issue is not going away if they wish it away. On a
bipartisan basis, we will continue to advocate to fight this injustice.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume
for the purpose of closing.
Mr. Speaker, this is a good measure to seek justice for this
senseless murder of three innocent American citizens, three innocent
New Yorkers. We cannot allow this horrific crime to continue to go
unpunished.
As Mr. Zeldin mentioned, and others who we have worked with, we have
raised this repeatedly with the Government of Serbia to no avail. They
know exactly who killed these American citizens. They know what
happened and why their bodies were dumped in a mass grave. They are
withholding it.
It is unconscionable that these American citizens cannot get justice,
that their families cannot get justice.
We will not stop. I know Mr. Zeldin and I won't, and other people
won't, until we get justice and answers as to who killed these American
citizens, the Bytyqi brothers, who were born in the United States of
America.
Mr. Speaker, I hope all Members will join me in supporting this
resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 32.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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