The Court of Appeals in Kosovo is reviewing appeals filed by both the prosecution and defense against the six-year prison sentence handed down to former OSCE official Jelena Djukanović, who was convicted of espionage.
The Basic Court in Prishtina sentenced Djukanović to six years in prison in April 2026 after finding her guilty of passing information to Aleksandar Vlajić, a Serbian intelligence operative who was also convicted of espionage in Kosovo. According to the Special Prosecution, Djukanović used her position within the OSCE Mission in Kosovo to provide sensitive information on political and security matters that was subsequently transmitted to Serbia’s Security Intelligence Agency (BIA).
The full first-instance judgment details a number of instances in which the court found that Djukanović had shared information with Vlajić.
According to the judgment, she passed on information concerning what the OSCE office in Mitrovica had described as “concerns” regarding Dragiša Milović, the elected mayor of North Mitrovica. The information was allegedly communicated to Vlajić, who had previously been convicted in Kosovo on espionage charges.
The judgment also states that Djukanović provided information concerning Adriana Hodžić, including an assessment that she was dissatisfied with her lack of political influence.
Information on political and security developments
According to the Basic Court’s findings, Djukanović collected information “in detail” and “with dedication” and transmitted it to Vlajić in real time.
The judgment further states that she provided information concerning the Kosovo Police and Islamic organizations operating in several municipalities.
The court concluded that the evidence presented during the trial established beyond reasonable doubt that Djukanović had intentionally engaged in conduct aimed at committing espionage.
According to the judgment, the alleged activity took place from 2018 until June 26, 2024, when Vlajić was arrested. The court found that Djukanović, while working as a local OSCE Mission official at the organization’s Regional Centre in Mitrovica, intentionally provided various pieces of information to Vlajić and acted on his instructions, allegedly with the purpose of facilitating the transfer of information to BIA.
The prosecution had accused Djukanović of assisting BIA by providing sensitive information about political and security developments in Kosovo. She was arrested in February 2025.
Following the first-instance verdict, her defense announced that it would appeal, arguing, among other issues, that certain evidence obtained from mobile phones had not been lawfully admitted.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, where Djukanović previously worked, said after the conviction that the case concerned an individual and that its mission respected the role of the judiciary, due-process principles and the presumption of innocence, as well as the court’s decision.
The Court of Appeals’ review will determine whether the first-instance judgment and the arguments raised by the prosecution and defense should be upheld, modified or otherwise addressed under Kosovo’s appellate procedure.
