October 22, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 167 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[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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