Kosovo’s Special Prosecution Office has filed an indictment against Fatmir Sheholli on charges of espionage and blackmail, alleging that he received money and materials from Serbia’s Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) to influence elections and that a document found on his phone outlined a plan to promote Islamic radicalization in Kosovo.
According to the indictment obtained by KOHA, BIA allegedly provided Sheholli with €5,000 and audio materials shortly before Kosovo’s local elections last year, with the aim of influencing the vote among the Kosovo Serb community.
The prosecution alleges that the materials contained recorded and transcribed conversations involving senior officials of Kosovo’s Ministry for Communities and Returns, led by Nenad Rašić, who was described as a political rival of Srpska Lista.
According to prosecutors, Sheholli’s task was to ensure the materials were published by Kosovo media in an effort to discredit the officials and institutions involved.
The indictment alleges that the materials were handed to journalist Milaim Zeka along with €1,000 and instructions regarding the timing and manner of their publication on his program “Pa Rrotlla,” shortly before election day.
The prosecution says Sheholli allegedly told Zeka that the material had been obtained from the German development agency GIZ.
Prosecutors said they possess photographs, recordings and other evidence obtained through special investigative measures, including monitoring and surveillance of Sheholli.
Alleged plan involving Islamic radicalization
A photograph marked “Top Secret 2” was reportedly found on Sheholli’s phone. It contains a text in Serbian that prosecutors describe as an operational plan aimed at portraying Kosovo as a radicalized and extremist state.
According to the indictment, the document allegedly outlined plans to use funds from Islamic embassies in Belgrade to finance the construction of mosques in prominent locations across Kosovo, expand religious schools and increase religious influence among different communities.
The document allegedly proposed creating an atmosphere in which people in Kosovo would feel as though they were living in a foreign country, leading some young people to leave Kosovo while others would increasingly identify with Islam.
According to the prosecution, the alleged objective was ultimately to influence Western perceptions of Kosovo and create conditions that could facilitate the return of the country under Serbian jurisdiction.
The allegations are part of the prosecution’s case against Sheholli and have not been established by a final court judgment.
Alleged plan targeting Kurti
The indictment also refers to a document known as “Leptiri,” which prosecutors say was found on Sheholli’s phone.
According to the prosecution, the document was prepared by Serbia’s State Security Service (RDB) in 2001 and described an alleged operational plan to compromise and recruit Albin Kurti while he was serving a prison sentence in Serbia.
The document allegedly proposed using an operative source known as “Leptiri” to obtain compromising material that could be used to pressure Kurti into cooperating with the RDB.
Separate blackmail allegations
In addition to espionage, the Special Prosecution Office has charged Sheholli with blackmail.
According to the indictment, he allegedly possessed video recordings involving a Kosovo businessman and used them to demand more than €13,000.
Sheholli was arrested on October 9 last year and has remained in pretrial detention since then.
Before his arrest, he worked as a journalist and adviser in the Gračanica municipality and the Ministry for Communities and Returns. He also headed a nongovernmental organization and frequently appeared in the media as a political analyst.
The allegations contained in the indictment remain subject to judicial proceedings, and Sheholli is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a final court decision.
