Arlind Ahmeti and Agron Vllasaliu have each been sentenced to 17 years in prison in the fourth retrial over the murder of N.S., which occurred in central Pristina in November 2017. In the third retrial, the Basic Court in Pristina had sentenced them to 16 years in prison each.

The decision was announced on Tuesday by the trial panel comprising Judge Ilir Foniqi and members Fatime Dermaku and Ertan Sejfulla, “Betimi për Drejtësi” reports.

Judge Foniqi announced that Ahmeti and Vllasaliu were found guilty of the criminal offense of “aggravated murder committed jointly with eventual intent,” for which each was sentenced to 15 years in prison. For the offense of “unauthorized possession of weapons,” they were each sentenced to two and a half years in prison, while the aggregate sentence for each was set at 17 years’ imprisonment.

The two defendants’ detention on remand has been extended.

Those present at the sentencing hearing included attorney Driton Musliu, Vllasaliu’s defense counsel; attorney Asdren Hoxha, Ahmeti’s defense counsel; and the injured party, Shemsie Aliu-Sahiti. The two defendants followed the proceedings from prison via video link.

The injured party was instructed to pursue her claim through regular civil proceedings.

The parties that disagree with the judgment may file an appeal within 30 days of receiving the written decision.

The case’s judicial history began with the Basic Court in Pristina’s decision of April 16, 2019. After reclassifying the criminal offense, the court found Arlind Ahmeti guilty of incitement to aggravated murder and imposed an aggregate sentence of 17 years in prison. At the time, Agron Vllasaliu was at large.

In November 2019, the Court of Appeals decided to remand the case to the first-instance court for a new trial, finding that the judgment of April 16, 2019, was contrary to legal provisions.

The Basic Court in Pristina issued another guilty verdict on December 13, 2022. Agron Vllasaliu and Arlind Ahmeti were each sentenced at that time to 21 years in prison for jointly committing the aggravated murder of the late N.S. in Pristina in 2017.

Following appeals by attorney Nexhmedin Sejdiu, representing the injured parties; Arlind Ahmeti’s defense attorneys, Asdren Hoxha and Fitim Malokaj; and Agron Vllasaliu’s defense attorney, Florent Latifaj, the Court of Appeals overturned the Basic Court in Pristina’s judgment on March 23, 2023. The case was again remanded to the first-instance court for retrial.

On October 11, 2024, the Basic Court reclassified the criminal offense as “causing general danger” and sentenced Ahmeti and Vllasaliu to 16 years in prison each. However, the Court of Appeals again remanded the case for retrial.

In the third retrial, on October 20, 2025, the two defendants were again given aggregate sentences of 16 years in prison each. The Basic Court reclassified the offense from “aggravated murder” to “causing general danger” and sentenced each of them to 12 years in prison for that offense. For “unauthorized possession of weapons,” each received a sentence of four years and six months in prison.

This decision was also overturned by the Court of Appeals on April 17, 2026. Granting the appeal filed by the Basic Prosecution Office in Pristina, the Court of Appeals remanded the case to the first-instance court for retrial.

The indictment filed on July 13, 2021, states that on November 24, 2017, Agron Vllasaliu, acting on the basis of a prior agreement with defendant Arlind Ahmeti, took the life of N.S. and endangered the lives of Behar Sahiti, Lumbardh Kukaj, Freskim Farizi, R.K. and Mërgim Kqiku.

The post Fourth Retrial Over Murder in Central Pristina: Ahmeti and Vllasaliu Sentenced to 17 Years Each appeared first on Albeu.com.

At 13:00 today, the Basic Court of Prishtina will announce the decision in the case known as “Drenica 1”, in which eight people are accused, including Sami Lushtaku.

During the previous session, only the defense took the floor, and with a common stance insisted on the innocence of their clients through a request for acquittal of all charges, relying on the lack of convincing evidence.

The legal representatives of Sami Lushtaku questioned the statements of some witnesses, emphasizing that they are full of contradictions, and also opposed the use of evidence obtained from Serbian institutions.

Lawyer Arianit Koci, as the defender of Rrustem Rrukolli, stressed that the Prosecution failed to prove the existence of a factual link between his client and the incriminated actions. In the same line, the defense teams of Rexhep Xhota, Fatmir Mjaku, Ismet Haxhaj, Skender Tahiri, Sheremet Jashari and Bajram Dibrani argued that the indictment is not supported by concrete evidence, seeking an acquittal for each of them.

Based on the indictment, Sami Lushtaku, Rrustem Rrukolli, Ismet Haxhaj, Fatmir Mjaku, Rexhep Xhota, Skender Tahiri, Sheremet Jashari and Bajram Dibrani face charges for actions aimed at influencing witnesses, obstruction of justice, and involvement in an organized criminal structure. Throughout the trial, all defendants have categorically rejected the claims raised against them.

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The court has sentenced Eqrem Avdullahu to four months in prison for threatening Hysni Gucati, chairman of the KLA War Veterans’ Organization.

Gucati welcomed the decision, saying the case should serve as a lesson for others to “come to their senses.”

“They should be careful on social media, stop hurling insults, stop writing nonsense, and stop insulting people without facts or evidence, because there is no need for it,” he told the media.

The veterans’ leader said Avdullahu was not the only person he had filed a lawsuit against, as he had also taken 17 others to court.

“Most of them are abroad, working in Germany and Switzerland. Most of them are outside the country,” Gucati told the media.

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Among those who reacted was witness Naim Elshani, who described the decision as ridiculous and said he still bears on his body the consequences of the torture he endured.

“I do not agree with this decision. This decision is ridiculous. A criminal gets 12 years in prison when I saw him with my own eyes committing crimes, torture, I lived through it, and even today my wounds still bleed. It is horrifying. I do not agree with this decision. Yes, believe me, the Serbs executed me twice. Today I am being executed even by, perhaps even by Albanians, by the courts. That means I have no security, I have no protection, every day I am threatened by people who do not wish Kosovo well. My life has been in danger several times. I asked the prosecutor for protection, and I was not offered any. Even at my own expense, I have come hundreds of times over five years. I asked for transport for witnesses. The witnesses who were abused during the ’90s until 1999 do not come. So here, I do not agree with this decision. 12 years in prison is far too little. For a war criminal to receive 12 years in prison, this is madness. There is no justice, I do not see justice. I do not know where justice is. All I know is that I suffer the consequences. I do not know how, for 27 years, I have not been able to get even five minutes of sleep because of the pain I have. I have nothing more to add. I greet you in the media, I greet the Albanians. I have nothing more to add,” Elshani said.

Dissatisfaction with the ruling was also expressed by another witness, Ylber Lipa.

“Despite the length and excessive prolonging of the process, at least the four of us as witnesses out of the 32 who are here today are dissatisfied with the decision, even though we are aware that under the laws of that time, under which he was sentenced, the maximum sentence is 15 years. This shows that the 12-year sentence handed down by the second instance after the appeal by criminal Bajroviq’s lawyer has been upheld. Nevertheless, we must accept it and we must build trust in our courts. As much as the law has prescribed, as much as the court has provided, and there is nothing we can do. The bad part of all this is the lack of support for witnesses from the state. The lack of interest in ensuring that witnesses come, regardless of the circumstances we have faced, not only with expenses, but with all the consequences. In Naim’s specific case as the main witness, he is facing health problems, consequences and psychological trauma, as well as everything else. We hope that justice, however delayed, will be served. We hope that our state will organize itself as soon as possible, become stronger, and not stop in investigating and uncovering criminals. That’s all,” he said.

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