Fehim Sali Case Raises Alarm in Kosovo, Former Investigator Calls for Probe Into Whether an Espionage Network Is Behind the Suspicions

Fehim Sali has been ordered held in pretrial detention for one month by the Basic Court in Pristina on suspicion of espionage. In its reasoning, the court cited the risk of interference with witnesses and evidence, as well as the possibility that the suspected offense could be repeated or continue.

This development has heightened concerns in the field of national security and counterintelligence. If the allegations are substantiated during the investigation, it remains to be determined whether the suspected activity is linked to just one person or involves other individuals and structures.

Former investigator Agim Rexhepi spoke to “Bota sot” about the Fehim Sali case, the suspicions of espionage and the consequences such activity could have for Kosovo’s national security.

Rexhepi initially assessed that the court’s decision to order pretrial detention should be treated with particular seriousness, because suspicions of espionage cannot be equated with an ordinary criminal case. If the Prosecution’s allegations are confirmed, he said, the matter directly affects national security, the protection of sensitive data and the ability of Kosovo’s institutions to prevent infiltration by foreign intelligence services.

However, the former investigator stressed that ordering pretrial detention does not amount to a declaration of guilt and that criminal responsibility can be determined only through judicial proceedings. According to Rexhepi, the fact that the court found circumstances related to possible influence over witnesses and evidence, as well as the risk that the suspected activity could be repeated or continue, calls for the most professional and thorough investigation possible.

Turning to counterintelligence, he said investigators should not limit themselves to determining the actions the suspect may have carried out. According to him, they must establish with whom he communicated, who recruited and instructed him, what information he sought or passed on, how long the activity lasted and what the possible objectives were.

If the suspicions are confirmed, Rexhepi also called for an investigation into the possible existence of a network. He explained that intelligence services do not necessarily operate through just one individual, as a person may serve as a contact, intermediary, source of information or member of a broader organization.

For this reason, he said, the security institutions should not seek answers only about what Fehim Sali is suspected of having done. The investigation should also determine whether there were other individuals, intermediaries, financiers, communication channels or structures that may have enabled the activity. Rexhepi said this is precisely the approach that distinguishes ordinary criminal proceedings from an investigation with counterintelligence dimensions.

The former investigator further warned of the risk to Kosovo’s national security if it is proven that the country’s sensitive data were collected and transmitted to a foreign service. He emphasized that the potential damage is not limited to the specific material that may have been handed over.

According to Rexhepi, such activity could expose human sources, institutions’ working methods, security weaknesses, structural organization and operational capabilities. In the worst-case scenario, a network of this kind could be used to influence state decision-making, undermine security institutions, cause destabilization or weaken the trust that citizens and international partners place in Kosovo’s institutions.

If the investigation uncovers organized espionage activity, Rexhepi said the matter should not end with the arrest or possible conviction of one individual. According to him, the authorities must trace the source of the information, the financing, contacts, those who issued the orders and every other link that may be part of the network.

He considered the damage assessment equally important. The responsible institutions, the former investigator said, must clarify not only whether a criminal offense was committed, but also what data may have been compromised, which individuals or institutions may have been exposed and whether immediate measures are needed to protect them.

At this stage, according to Rexhepi, counterintelligence has a decisive role. A serious investigative process should examine links, communications, transactions, contacts and patterns of activity, while always operating within the law and under the relevant institutional oversight.

He clarified that the aim should not be to spread suspicion toward citizens, but to accurately uncover any activity that could harm the strategic interests of the Republic of Kosovo. Rexhepi recalled that Kosovo is situated in a sensitive security environment in which various regional and international actors have direct interests.

In such circumstances, he said, protecting state information is not merely an administrative duty, but is directly linked to safeguarding sovereignty and national security.

In conclusion, the former investigator called for the Fehim Sali case to be handled without any negligence, but also without any prejudice. He said the institutions must insist on uncovering the truth while fully guaranteeing the presumption of innocence and the standards of due process.

If the allegations are confirmed, Rexhepi said, the authorities must uncover the entire possible mechanism behind the activity, identify every person or structure involved and determine whether state data have been compromised.

The message, he said, should be that Kosovo cannot become a place where foreign services collect information, create networks of influence or endanger the security of its institutions. If there is a network, it must be uncovered; if there is someone issuing orders, that person must be identified; and if state information has been compromised, it must be clarified what was compromised and how.

Rexhepi stressed that the success of an investigation is not measured solely by the possible conviction of one individual. The true result, he said, would be the full exposure of the mechanism, the disruption of infiltration channels and the strengthening of the counterintelligence system, so that the matter does not remain merely a criminal case file but serves as a lesson for the long-term protection of the state.

Agim Rexhepi concluded his statement to “Bota sot” by saying that if the suspicions are proven, the event is no longer merely the story of one person. In that case, it constitutes an alarm about how the Republic of Kosovo protects the state, its information and its security.