Avdullah Hoti, an MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo, has announced that he has signed on to the Kosovo Law Institute’s (KLI) legislative initiative to amend and supplement the Criminal Code.

According to Hoti, the initiative seeks to ensure that failure to comply with Constitutional Court decisions carries criminal liability.

“As an MP in the Assembly of Kosovo and a member of the Democratic League of Kosovo, I have signed the legislative initiative to amend and supplement the Criminal Code, launched by the Kosovo Law Institute (KLI), with the aim of ensuring that failure to implement Constitutional Court decisions does not go without criminal liability,” Hoti stated.

He said that the functioning of the rule of law cannot depend on whether institutions are willing to implement Constitutional Court decisions.

“There can be no rule of law under the following standard: the Court rules, and the Government chooses whether or not to implement the decision,” Hoti said.

The initiative also provides for criminalizing the misuse of public funds for electoral gain, to prevent the state budget from being used to influence citizens’ votes.

The LDK MP described the move as a clear warning to any government seeking to circumvent the Constitution.

“This initiative sends a clear message to any government that thinks it can bypass the Constitution. Constitutional Court decisions are not political recommendations. They are a constitutional obligation,” Hoti said.

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Fehim Sali was arrested on Thursday at the Merdare border crossing in Podujevë, on charges of the criminal offense of “Espionage”.

According to the announcement by the Special Prosecution of Kosovo, his detention was carried out with authorization from this institution by investigators from the Directorate for Investigation of Organized Crime and Serious Crimes.

The arrest of Sali, a native of Dragash, was part of a coordinated action between security and judicial bodies.

It is reported that Sali is suspected of having maintained regular long-term connections with the Serbian intelligence service (BIA), according to sources from Radio Television of Kosovo.

He works as a teacher at the Serbian educational institution “9 Maji” in the village of Rapçë in Dragash, and previously served as a member of the Consultative Council for Communities under the Kosovo Presidency.

The same sources indicate that Sali is also being investigated for mediating property and Serbian documentation issues, as well as for collecting votes in favor of supporters of Aleksandar Vučić, the president of Serbia.

On Friday, the Basic Court in Prishtina, through the Special Department, held a hearing and decided to approve the request of the Special Prosecution for a security measure. The defendant Sali was ordered into detention.

“The pre-trial judge set for the defendant F.S. a detention of one (1) month, starting from the day of arrest, 13 August 2026, and ending on 13 September 2026,” the court announced.

Regarding this case, security affairs expert Arben Dashevci spoke to “Bota sot”. He emphasized that such individuals are dangerous and are treated as such.

Dashevci describes espionage as an extremely serious and complex criminal offense that requires an in-depth investigation.

“This is another success of our security structures against this extremely harmful activity that strikes at our national security. These are dangerous people and are classified as such, but since we have full, educated, professional and competent institutions, prison is the only place for these wrongdoers. Espionage is a serious and complex criminal offense, therefore a detailed investigation is needed. Anyone who infringes upon and tries to harm national security will face the fate of many previous cases, as 6 other persons have been arrested earlier,” he stated.

He praised the work of security bodies, underlining that beyond this case there could be wider implications for the state’s security.

“Our security institutions are doing an excellent job and with this tireless engagement they directly protect the national security of Kosovo. By citing the risk of flight, of interference with evidence and witnesses, as well as the repetition or continuation of the criminal offense, the court indicates the high degree of risk and the nature of the ongoing investigations, given that the offense is serious and sensitive. This case could also bring greater consequences for the national security of the country,” the expert added.

In conclusion, Dashevci considered the case as essential for the field of counterintelligence and defense. “I think this case is extremely important for counterintelligence and the protection of our institutions from individuals who act on behalf of hostile services against our country, damaging, infringing, and endangering our national security through their activity,” he declared.

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William Schabas, a professor of international criminal law, has said that although the Kosovo Specialist Chambers may have formal jurisdiction to investigate new discoveries of mass graves, primary responsibility for prosecuting crimes committed by Serbian forces lies with the domestic judiciary.

In an interview with the newspaper “Bota sot,” Schabas discussed the possibility of these serious crimes, which may constitute violations of international humanitarian law, being addressed by the Specialist Chambers, as well as the legal avenues available to victims’ families who are still awaiting justice.

He explained that, from a legal perspective, there is a theoretical possibility that the Specialist Chambers could exercise jurisdiction, but stressed that the court’s original mission was entirely different.

“In principle, the Specialist Chambers can prosecute crimes committed by nationals of Kosovo or the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, or crimes in which the victims were nationals of Kosovo or the FRY, provided that they occurred between January 1998 and December 2000. In theory, therefore, they may have jurisdiction,” Schabas was quoted as saying.

However, he stressed that the Specialist Chambers were established specifically to address allegations of crimes linked to leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, who later became involved in government.

“This court was established because of crimes allegedly committed by KLA leaders, who were already part of Kosovo’s institutions and whose cases had not been addressed by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The assessment was that the domestic justice system would never investigate these cases,” the professor explained.

When it comes to suspected perpetrators who are members of the Serbian forces, Schabas believes the situation is different and does not involve the same political obstacles that justified the creation of this mechanism.

“If the crimes are suspected of having been committed by Serbs, then the situation is different. In this case, Kosovo’s legal system is capable of prosecuting these crimes. The political obstacles that existed in cases related to the KLA are not present. Therefore, the rights of victims should be upheld through Kosovo’s domestic judicial system,” Schabas said.

Finally, he expressed strong doubts that the mandate of the Specialist Chambers would be expanded, highlighting the high cost as a key obstacle.

“The Specialist Chambers represent a very costly alternative, and I do not believe that their funders, essentially the European Union, will be willing to make further investments to expand their mandate,” he concluded.

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The discovery of new mass graves in Kosovo has once again brought demands for justice for the victims of the war to the forefront. In this context, international criminal law professor William Schabas explained that the Kosovo Specialist Chambers could, under certain circumstances, theoretically have jurisdiction, but cases in which the suspects are members of Serbian forces should be handled by Kosovo’s justice system.

In his response to the newspaper “Bota sot,” Schabas discussed the possibility that the Specialist Chambers could investigate crimes linked to the new mass graves, which may constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law. He also addressed the legal mechanisms available to the victims’ families, who continue to wait for justice.

According to him, it is not legally ruled out that this institution could have jurisdiction over such cases. However, he recalled that the Specialist Chambers were established for an entirely different purpose.

Schabas stated that, in principle, the Specialist Chambers may prosecute crimes committed by nationals of Kosovo or the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as well as cases in which the victims were nationals of Kosovo or the FRY, provided that the offenses occurred between January 1998 and December 2000. For this reason, he said, their jurisdiction is theoretically possible.

The professor explained that the court was created to examine allegations of crimes committed by leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, who later assumed positions in the country’s institutions.

He said the Specialist Chambers were intended to address crimes allegedly committed by KLA leaders who later joined Kosovo’s government, while these cases had not been examined by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. According to Schabas, the assessment at the time was that the domestic justice system would never investigate those cases.

When the suspects in the crimes are members of Serbian forces, the legal circumstances are different, he said. Schabas assessed that, in these cases, the same political barriers that led to the creation of the Specialist Chambers do not arise.

If there is suspicion that the offenses were committed by Serbs, Kosovo’s legal system has the ability to prosecute them, he said. The professor stressed that the political obstacles present in cases related to the KLA do not exist in this situation, and therefore the victims’ rights should be upheld through Kosovo’s domestic judicial system.

In conclusion, Schabas expressed skepticism that the Specialist Chambers could expand their activities in this direction. As one reason, he cited the high costs required to operate this mechanism.

According to him, the Specialist Chambers are an extremely expensive alternative. Schabas said he does not believe that their funders, essentially the European Union, would be willing to invest further in expanding the institution’s mandate.

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Through her official profile, Gervalla announced that she had asked the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor to carry out all investigative actions and proceed with an indictment, as well as seek a sentence from the competent court.

According to her, such statements are linked to the grave historical consequences left by the last war in Kosovo.

“Today I filed a criminal complaint against Snezhana Paunovic. The Republic of Kosovo does not remain silent and never bows to the language of hatred, calls for and incitement to division and intolerance. There is no room for the glorification of ethnic cleansing, the relativisation of genocide and monstrous Serbian crimes, or the spread of narratives aimed at undermining peace, security and interethnic coexistence. Public statements intended to justify ethnic cleansing and the expulsion of a people cannot be treated as ordinary political rhetoric. They carry grave historical, legal and human consequences. For this reason, in my capacity as Minister of Justice, I requested that the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor, within its legal powers, undertake all investigative actions and proceed further with an indictment and a request for the competent court to impose a sentence. Serbia has still not apologised for the crimes committed against our people during the war in Kosovo,” Gervalla wrote.

On July 12, 2026, in an interview with the Serbian media outlet “Kurir”, Paunovic, in her capacity as a minister in the Serbian government, stated: “If I were Slobodan Milosevic, I would have carried out the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo in 1998.”

Following the statement, Acting Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla declared Paunovic persona non grata, permanently banning her from entering or transiting through Kosovo.

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