US HCR41

Three U.S. citizens—brothers Ylli (25), Agron (23), and Mehmet Bytyqi (21)—were executed in July 1999 by a Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs special operations unit after being arrested for illegally crossing an administrative border while helping a Romani family flee Kosovo.

Their bodies were discovered on July 17, 2001, with hands bound and gunshot wounds to the back of their heads, buried atop a mass grave of approximately 70 murdered Kosovo civilians.

No individual has ever been convicted for the murders despite Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's promises to U.S. officials to deliver justice; two officers charged in 2006 were acquitted in 2012.

Congress calls on Serbia's government and War Crimes Prosecutor's Office to prioritize investigating and prosecuting current or former officials responsible, including training camp commander Goran "Guri" Radosavljevic, who was designated ineligible for U.S. entry due to gross human rights violations.

Progress in resolving this case should remain a significant factor in determining the further development of U.S.-Serbia relations.