The Court of Appeals has upheld the decision of the Basic Court in Pristina, which sentenced former Mayor of North Mitrovica, Erden Atiq, to a six-month suspended prison sentence for the criminal offense of interrupting the transmission of a Kosovo Assembly session on Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) in September 2016.
“The appeal submitted by the defense lawyer of the accused Erden Atiq, attorney Xhevdet H. Shala, is REJECTED as unfounded, while the judgment of the Basic Court in Pristina… dated 20.11.2024 is CONFIRMED,” the Appeals Court decision states, as reported by “Betimi për Drejtësi.”
The Appeals Court decision, drafted on 20 May 2026, was issued by a panel composed of Judge Mehmet Ndrecaj (chair), and judges Ferit Osmani and Ali Kutllovci.
According to the Basic Court ruling of 20 November 2024, Atiq was found guilty of the criminal offense of “Destroying, damaging or removing public installations” and sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for a probation period of one year, meaning the sentence would not be executed if he did not commit another criminal offense during that time.
The defense had appealed the verdict citing essential violations of criminal procedure, misapplication of criminal law, and incorrect determination of facts, requesting a retrial or annulment of the decision. The prosecution, however, proposed that the appeal be rejected and the original ruling upheld.
The Appeals Court concluded that the first-instance judgment contained no essential procedural violations and that it was clear, well-reasoned, and based on properly evaluated evidence. It further stated that all elements of the criminal offense had been sufficiently proven.
The court also rejected arguments regarding confiscated items, stating they were used in the commission of the offense.
Atiq, at his initial hearing in 2021, had not entered a plea, stating: “I am not familiar with this field, I will defend myself by remaining silent.”
According to the indictment filed in October 2017, Atiq was accused of deliberately disconnecting a cable from an optical network box near the entrance of the Kosovo Assembly in Pristina on 1 September 2016, thereby interrupting the live broadcast of the parliamentary session on RTK.
The offense falls under Article 366(1) of the Criminal Code of Kosovo, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
