In Retrial over Tear Gas in the Assembly, Konjufca Denies Guilt

At Wednesday’s retrial hearing at the Basic Court in Pristina, Glauk Konjufca declared that he was not guilty of the charge related to the use of tear gas in the Assembly of Kosovo.

“No, I do not feel guilty,” Konjufca said, according to reporting by Betimi për Drejtësi.

Following his statement, the hearing continued with the presentation of opening statements by the parties involved in the proceedings.

Konjufca, a former president of the Assembly of Kosovo and currently the acting minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, had been scheduled to appear before the trial panel on 26 August 2026, at a hearing set to begin at 09:30. The developments were reported at 09:58.

The case stems from an indictment filed on 3 February 2017 by the Basic Prosecution in Pristina, through which Konjufca was charged with two criminal offenses.

The indictment alleges that on 10 August 2016, during a session in the chamber of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, Konjufca, who was then serving as a member of parliament, used a weapon in violation of the law by throwing tear gas into the chamber.

According to the same indictment, the gas caused the space to fill with smoke, preventing those present from remaining inside and forcing them to leave the Assembly chamber.

On 26 February 2024, the Basic Court in Pristina issued an acquittal for Konjufca in relation to the offense of “Use of a Weapon or Dangerous Instrument,” after finding that it had not been proven that he had committed the offense of which he was accused.

As for the criminal offense of “Obstructing an Official Person in the Performance of Official Duties,” the charge was dismissed because the statute of limitations had expired.

The decision was later annulled by the Court of Appeals, which remanded the case for retrial.