The Human Rights Watch group has called for an investigation into claims that ethnic Albanians in Kosovo murdered Serbs to sell their organs in 1999.

The claims had been set out in a book by former UN war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte.

Human Rights Watch said it had new evidence to back up the allegations.

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Kosovo Parliament Declares Independence From Serbia ... Berisha said the claims were like "an Agatha Christie novel" and had been investigated by national and international prosecutors.

Kosovo's assembly is due to convene in the coming weeks to discuss whether to sue Ms Del Ponte for allegedly tarnishing the image of Kosovo.

'Clear investigation'

Ms Del Ponte said in her book that she had learned of the organ selling practice from "credible journalists".

She said the sources had told her that between 100 and 300 mostly Serb civilians were taken from Kosovo into Albania where "doctors extracted the captives' internal organs".

At the time UN and Nato forces were deploying to Kosovo as the war between Serbian forces and separatists was ending.

Human Rights Watch said it had reviewed investigations done at the time and that it believed there were "serious and credible allegations" over the issue.

Human Rights Watch senior researcher Fred Abrahams called on Kosovo and Albania to "show their commitment to justice and the rule of law by conducting proper investigations".

But Mr Barisha said: "There has been a clear investigation by both national and international prosecutors and they have found no evidence."

He added: "Carla Del Ponte never presented an official request to my government on the matter."

(BBC)

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