At the Basic Court in Prishtina, the closing statements were delivered on Thursday in the trial of the former head of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (AKI), Driton Gashi, who is accused in the case known as “The Gülenists.”
The defense requested a not-guilty verdict, while the representatives of the injured parties demanded a guilty verdict.
Gashi is accused of directly participating in the deportation of six Turkish nationals from Kosovo in 2018, allegedly in violation of legal procedures, reports Betimi për Drejtësi.
The closing statements were delivered by the defense of the injured parties as well as Gashi’s defense. Earlier, on 21 November 2025, prosecutor Habibe Salihu-Statovci had submitted her closing statement in writing.
The attorneys representing the injured parties, Leotrim Syla and Urim Vokshi, submitted written final arguments, stating that the evidence confirmed once again that the six Turkish citizens had been intentionally deported. They asked the court to hold the accused responsible.
On the other side, Gashi’s lawyer Florent Latifaj said he stands by the final statement presented in the previous hearing. Parts of his statement required the court to temporarily close the session to the public, due to reference to classified proceedings.
Latifaj requested an acquittal, saying that “the shame brought upon Kosovo’s security institutions must end.”
He argued that the AKI had acted lawfully and based on its internal report concerning the Turkish nationals, and that Gashi had acted in defense of national security, not in abuse of office.
Background of the Case
- In July 2023, the Basic Court had found Gashi guilty, sentencing him to 4 years and 8 months in prison, while the other two defendants — Valon Krasniqi and Rrahman Sylejmani — were acquitted.
- In December 2024, the Court of Appeals returned the case for retrial only for Gashi, upholding the acquittal for the other two.
Prosecution’s Accusations
According to the 2021 indictment by the Special Prosecution of Kosovo:
- Gashi, as AKI Director, is accused of abusing his official position by initiating and coordinating the deportation of six Turkish nationals who had legal residence and work permits in Kosovo.
- He is accused of influencing the revocation of their residence permits without legal basis, and of failing to notify the President, the Prime Minister, and the Chief State Prosecutor, as required by law.
- The Prosecution claims he unlawfully involved AKI directly in the operation of deportation, including transport and execution — actions outside AKI’s legal mandate.
The prosecution charges Gashi with “Abuse of Official Position or Authority” under Article 422 of the Criminal Code.
The indictment also detailed the actions of Krasniqi and Sylejmani, but both were already cleared by the Court of Appeals.
