Espionage hearing canceled after Bedri Shabani's mental state examination requested

2025-11-20 10:03:57, Kosova & Bota CNA

Espionage hearing canceled after Bedri Shabani's mental state examination

The Basic Court in Pristina announced on Thursday that it has canceled the court session against two people accused of espionage, Bedri Shabani and Muharrem Qerimi, as the trial panel has ordered an examination of Shabani's mental state.

The proposal for this examination was made by his defense, while the Court has announced that it expects the procedure to be completed within a short time.

Shabani and Qerimi are accused of spying for Serbia, while both have pleaded not guilty.

Among the charges against them is providing information to the Serbian Intelligence and Security Agency (BIA) from the period of the war in Kosovo until the period of their arrest in 2024.

According to the Kosovo authorities, they have seriously endangered and damaged the constitutional and legal order and security of Kosovo.

Recently, authorities in Kosovo have arrested, charged, and tried Serbs and Albanians on suspicion of spying for Serbia's intelligence services.

Among them is Fatmir Sheholli, whose detention was recently extended.

In June of this year, Kosovo justice authorities sentenced Aleksandar Vllajic to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of being involved in espionage as a member of the Serbian BIA.

In another case, Serbian woman Jelena Djukanovic is also on trial, accused of spying for Serbian intelligence. She has denied the charges.

In Kosovo, espionage is defined as the secret activities of collecting, transmitting, or distributing sensitive information to another state, organization, or group.

According to the Criminal Code of Kosovo, espionage is considered a serious crime and is punishable by at least five years in prison, if the suspect is found guilty.

Experts have said that espionage is a serious threat to Kosovo's security, and the recent arrests only highlight the ongoing danger.

According to them, this activity not only destabilizes the country internally, but also damages its international standing.

Former Chief Inspector of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (KIA), Burim Ramadani, considers espionage as one of the main threats to national security in the country./REL