Bekteshi after Isufaj’s dismissal: Leaving Radoiçiq free cannot be undone even by dismissing 100 chief prosecutors

Activist Ramazan Bekteshi has described Blerim Isufaj’s dismissal as head of the Special Prosecution as an opportunity to open a new chapter in Kosovo’s justice system.

In a statement, Bekteshi criticized the way the Special Prosecution had been run and drew attention again to the case of Milan Radoiçiq, saying that allowing him to remain free had seriously damaged public trust in the justice system.

He stressed that judicial institutions must operate free from political influence. Justice should not serve those in power, he said; those in power should be subject to the authority of justice.

Bekteshi described Blerim Isufaj as an established figure in the justice system during the Thaçi, Haradinaj and Hoti periods. He recalled that Isufaj was chosen as chief prosecutor of the Special Prosecution in 2019 by the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council.

On October 2, 2026, the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council voted to dismiss Isufaj by 6 votes to 1. The decision found mismanagement, incompetence and failure to fulfill legal obligations on his part.

According to Bekteshi, Isufaj’s departure should also mark the end of an old approach in which justice is treated as the property of politicians.

One of the most contentious issues associated with the leadership of the Special Prosecution remains the Radoiçiq case. The arrest warrant against him was withdrawn at the Special Prosecution’s request, while Isufaj had justified the move as part of an investigative tactic aimed at securing Radoiçiq’s cooperation.

But according to Bekteshi, the approach produced no results. Radoiçiq did not appear, the information he was expected to provide did not bring him before justice, and the arrest warrant was reinstated. Bekteshi said a strategy that allows a suspect to remain beyond the reach of justice must carry accountability.

Bekteshi asked whether Isufaj’s dismissal would mark the beginning of a new chapter for justice in Kosovo, emphasizing that the rule of law cannot function when justice is controlled by politicians.

He said Kosovo does not need chief prosecutors with political power, but a strong and independent justice system. Justice must not serve those in power, he added; those in power must submit to justice.

On the political front, Bekteshi said Isufaj’s dismissal was in line with Kurti’s earlier position calling for changes at the top of the Special Prosecution.

Meanwhile, some opposition figures have described the decision as “political revenge” and a threat to judicial independence. The Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, for its part, has said the dismissal concerns how Isufaj performed his duties, not political influence.

Bekteshi described Blerim Isufaj’s departure as one of the most positive developments in Kosovo, claiming the decision could break the deadlock on pending cases, cases deliberately set aside and investigations that had been halted.

“When the chief prosecutor falls, who is afraid of justice?” he wrote. He concluded by saying that leaving Radoiçiq free could not be made right even by dismissing 100 chief prosecutors.