This Wednesday, Bedri Shabani and Muharrem Qerimi will face an initial hearing in court regarding serious charges of espionage. According to the prosecution, they are accused of collaborating for years with Serbia’s intelligence service, providing sensitive information about the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and massacres that occurred in Kosovo.
The Basic Court in Pristina, Special Department, confirmed that their initial trial session, where they will be informed of the indictment and asked to make their statements, is scheduled for this Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at 13:15.
The Special Prosecutor’s Office of Kosovo filed charges against Shabani and Qerimi last month, accusing them of espionage and illegal arms possession. The prosecution’s indictment, which has been shared with the media, claims that the two men operated as agents for Serbia’s intelligence agency, the BIA.
Shabani and Qerimi reportedly gathered various pieces of information about the KLA and transferred them to the BIA through phone communications and physical meetings in Serbia. The indictment outlines the role each defendant played in this operation.
The document describes how Shabani provided valuable intelligence to the BIA from an unspecified date until his arrest on June 5, 2024. His involvement allegedly helped Serbia’s intelligence service create a false narrative about the KLA’s military hospital and various massacres in Kosovo, jeopardizing the security and constitutional order of Kosovo.
As for Qerimi, a former police officer, the prosecution claims that he had been serving as an agent for Serbia since 2012. In addition to providing information about the KLA, he reportedly offered sensitive details about senior police officers, the Intelligence and Security Agency (AKI), the Police Inspectorate, and witnesses in corruption and organized crime cases.
The trial of Shabani and Qerimi will continue, with further developments expected in the coming weeks.
