S.M. asked the trial panel for the hearing not to be open, arguing that the identity of Millaku’s children, who had been witnesses during the proceedings, must be protected.

The same proposal was also made by the defense counsel for the accused, lawyer Mirvete Hashani, for the same reasons, but this request was opposed by Millaku herself.

“I want them to be public, so that others know everything I suffered in that house as well. From my side, I accept the journalists; I am the victim here, not them. I endured for 30 years,” the accused Millaku declared.

Despite this, the presiding judge of the Appeals panel, Xhevdet Abazi, announced that the hearing would be held behind closed doors in order to protect the interests of Millaku’s children.

In this case, the judicial panel consists of Xhevdet Abazi as presiding judge, Kadrije Goga-Lubishtani as reporting judge, and Skender Çoçaj as member.

Present at the hearing were the accused Nazmije Millaku together with her defense counsel, lawyer Mirvete Hashani, as well as the injured party S.M. Meanwhile, no one from the Appellate Prosecution was present.

Otherwise, on March 9, 2026, the Basic Court in Prishtina found Millaku guilty of the criminal offense of “Aggravated Murder” and sentenced her to 20 years in prison. At the same time, she was acquitted of the charge of the criminal offense of “Unauthorized Possession of Weapons,” reports “Oath for Justice.”

According to the indictment of the Basic Prosecution in Prishtina, Nazmije Millaku was charged that on August 20, 2024, in the shared corridor of their houses in Prishtina, in a treacherous manner and for base motives of jealousy, she intentionally deprived her brother-in-law Xh.M. of life. The indictment describes that the defendant had felt disrespected and abandoned by family members, believing that the now deceased had influence.

The indictment also states that the accused had prepared in advance to commit this criminal offense by completing a training course in the use of short firearms, then becoming certified and purchasing a firearm and ammunition. According to the description, she had taken advantage of the moment when other family members were not there and, after seeing the now deceased Xh.M. passing through the house corridor to go to the shared yard, had gone out into the corridor and, in a treacherous manner, fired several times with the aforementioned weapon in his direction, striking him in different parts of the body. As a result of the injuries, the victim died.

The autopsy found that Xh.M.’s death was violent and had occurred as a result of brain destruction and massive internal and external bleeding. It also found 18 wounds caused by 11 shots.

With these actions, she was charged with the criminal offense of “Aggravated Murder” under Article 173, paragraph 1, subparagraph 1.4 of the Criminal Code.

Millaku was also charged that, from December 21, 2023 until August 20, 2024, contrary to the applicable weapons law, she had possessed a firearm, three magazines, and 39 bullets, while, although she had completed the course for using the weapon, she had still not been issued a permit to carry it. According to the indictment, the weapon was found during a search in her bag when she went to the police station, while part of the ammunition was found in her room.

Under these circumstances, she was also charged with the criminal offense of “Unauthorized ownership, control or possession of weapons” under Article 366, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code.

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