Bedri Shabani and Muharrem Qerimi have appeared before the court for their initial hearings. They face serious charges related to crimes against the constitutional order, specifically espionage.
According to the prosecution, the two have cooperated for years with the Serbian secret service, providing information about the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and the massacres that occurred in Kosovo.
Last month, the Special Prosecution filed an indictment against Shabani and Qerimi for espionage, writes Reporteri.net.
The state prosecutor from the Special Prosecution has proposed to the court that, after the judicial review and the presentation of evidence, the defendants be found guilty and sentenced according to the Penal Code of the Republic of Kosovo.
Both Shabani and Qerimi, of Albanian ethnicity, were arrested by the Kosovo Police on June 5, 2024, on suspicion of espionage. They are believed to have cooperated with Serbian intelligence structures for many years.
During raids on their homes, the police found and seized various documents, computers, phones, USB drives, DVRs, tapes, weapons, ammunition, military gas masks, and numerous other pieces of evidence.
Both were arrested as part of a joint operation that also involved the Kosovo Intelligence Agency.
Under the Penal Code of the Republic of Kosovo, the crime of espionage falls under crimes against the constitutional order and the security of the Republic of Kosovo.
The minimum sentence for this crime is 5 years in prison, while the maximum is 12 years.
