The Special Prosecution has filed an indictment against a person identified by the initials F.A., who is suspected of the criminal offense of “participation in or organization of an organized criminal group” in connection with the criminal offense of “fraud.”

The indictment has been submitted to the Basic Court in Pristina.

The prosecution alleges that F.A. was part of an organized criminal group in Vushtrri from September 2012 to June 2013.

According to the indictment, the group’s aim was to unlawfully obtain financial benefits by taking out agricultural loans from a banking institution.

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The Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo has charged an official of the Ministry of Environment, Naser Hafizi, with three criminal offenses. In separate proceedings, an indictment has also been filed against a person with the initials I.B. for unauthorized possession of weapons.

Hafizi is charged with the criminal offenses “Misuse of official position or authority,” “Money laundering,” and “Failure to report or false reporting of assets, income, gifts, other material benefit, or financial obligations.”

The prosecution alleges that during 2021–2023, while serving as an official of the Ministry of Environment, N.H. acted beyond the competencies defined by law and failed to fulfill his official responsibilities.

According to the indictment, these actions are suspected of having created opportunities for illegal financial gain for economic operators, including water bottlers. As a result, the state budget is alleged to have been damaged in the amount of 15,752,486.07 euros.

“The defendant is accused of not sending all economic operators for evaluation by the Ministerial Working Group. After receiving the report from this group, N.H. selected the operators into three groups in order to favor them, enabling financial obligations to be determined based on their unverified reports,” the Special Prosecution’s announcement said.

The indictment also charges Hafizi with failing to take the Working Group’s assessments as a basis when determining economic operators’ debts. He is suspected of lowering their financial obligations related to water use.

Meanwhile, an indictment has been filed against I.B. for the criminal offense “Unauthorized ownership, control, or possession of weapons.”

The Special Prosecution has not disclosed other details about the case involving I.B.

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The Special Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kosovo has filed an indictment with the Basic Court in Pristina against six defendants.

B.D., A.D., L.D., G.D. and E.D. are charged with “Participation in or organization of an organized criminal group” in connection with the criminal offenses of “Fraud” and “Unauthorized access to computer systems.”

Meanwhile, B.C. is charged separately with the criminal offense of “Fraud.”

The indictment alleges that during the period 2022–2024, B.D., A.D., L.D., G.D. and E.D. were members of an organized criminal group operating internationally. According to the Prosecution, the criminal activities were carried out from the territory of the Republic of Kosovo against citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany.

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The Court of Appeals of Kosovo has decided to change the first-instance judgment in the case known as the “Veterans” case, acquitting Agim Çeku and nine former members of the Government Commission for the Verification of Veterans. The decision also upholds the acquittal of Nuredin Lushtaku and Smajl Elezaj.

The criminal panel of the Special Department of the Court of Appeals accepted the defense appeals and changed the judgment of the Basic Court in Pristina, dated 12 September 2025. Under that decision, ten defendants had been found guilty and sentenced to one year in prison each.

The acquittal covers Agim Çeku, Sadik Halitjaha, Shkumbin Demaliaj, Qelë Gashi, Shukri Buja, Ahmet Daku, Rrustem Berisha, Faik Fazliu, Fadil Shurdhaj and Xhavit Jashari.

According to the Court of Appeals, it was not proven during the proceedings that the defendants had jointly committed the criminal offense of abusing their official position or authority.

The court also deemed unfounded the Special Prosecution’s appeal against the decision to acquit Nuredin Lushtaku and Smajl Elezaj. Both had been found not guilty at the first-instance level.

With this decision, all 12 people involved in the proceedings have been acquitted. The decision was reported on 11 September, while the judgment of the Court of Appeals is dated 9 September 2026.

The Special Prosecution had requested that Lushtaku and Elezaj be found guilty, while seeking harsher sentences for the other ten defendants.

The Court of Appeals did not accept this position. The Prosecution’s appeal against the acquittal was rejected, while the request for harsher sentences became moot following the decision to acquit the defendants.

The costs of the criminal proceedings will be paid from the budget. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare has been instructed to pursue any potential property-related claims through civil proceedings.

The criminal case concerned the recognition and verification of veterans’ status, as well as that of other categories arising from the Kosovo Liberation Army’s war.

The indictment alleged that the defendants, in their capacity as members of the Government Commission, had exceeded their powers or failed to fulfill their official duties. According to the Prosecution, this had enabled other individuals to unlawfully obtain veteran status.

The defense had denied the defendants’ individual responsibility, arguing that applications had been reviewed in the field through the structures and chain of command of the operational zones.

In conclusion, the Court of Appeals assessed that it had not been proven that the defendants had committed the criminal offense with which they were charged.

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The Court of Appeals of Kosovo has overturned the first-instance ruling in the “Veterans” case, acquitting Agim Çeku and nine former members of the Government Commission for the Verification of Veterans. The acquittals of Nuredin Lushtaku and Smajl Elezaj have also been upheld.

The Appeals Special Department’s criminal panel accepted the defense appeals and amended the judgment of 12 September 2025. Under that ruling, the ten defendants had been found guilty and sentenced to one year in prison each.

Those acquitted are Agim Çeku, Sadik Halitjaha, Shkumbin Demaliaj, Qelë Gashi, Shukri Buja, Ahmet Daku, Rrustem Berisha, Faik Fazliu, Fadil Shurdhaj and Xhavit Jashari.

According to the Appeals Court’s assessment, it was not proven that the defendants had committed the criminal offense of abuse of official position or authority in co-perpetration.

Meanwhile, the Special Prosecution’s appeal against the acquittal of Nuredin Lushtaku and Smajl Elezaj was rejected as unfounded. Both had been acquitted of the charges at the first-instance proceedings.

With this ruling, all 12 people who were part of this case have been acquitted. The decision was reported on 11 September, while the Appeals Court judgment is dated 9 September 2026.

Prosecution sought harsher sentences

The Special Prosecution had requested that Nuredin Lushtaku and Smajl Elezaj be found guilty, as well as that the sentences of the ten other defendants who had been convicted at first instance be increased.

However, the Appeals Court ruled otherwise. The Prosecution’s appeal concerning the acquittal was dismissed, while the request for harsher sentences became moot after the acquittal was issued.

The costs of the criminal proceedings will be paid from budget funds. The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare was instructed to pursue any potential property-related claim through civil litigation.

What were they accused of?

The case concerned the recognition and verification of veterans’ status, as well as that of other categories arising from the Kosovo Liberation Army’s war.

The indictment alleged that the defendants, in their capacity as members of the Government Commission, had exceeded their authority or failed to perform their official duties, enabling other individuals to obtain veteran status in violation of the law.

The defense had denied the defendants’ individual responsibility, emphasizing that the applications had been reviewed in the field by the structures and through the chain of command of the operational zones.

In conclusion, the Court of Appeals assessed that the commission of the criminal offense with which the defendants had been charged had not been proven.

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The Special Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kosovo has filed an indictment against S.S., charging him with the criminal offense of “War Crimes Against the Civilian Population.”

The indictment states that on April 6, 1999, in the village of Reznik, Vushtrri, S.S., together with other members of the Serbian forces and S.T., who was previously convicted by the Basic Court in Pristina, participated in the killing of nine Albanian civilians.

According to the prosecution’s allegations, some of the victims were burned alive, while the bodies of others were burned after they had been killed.

S.S. is also accused of entering the homes of Albanian families together with armed individuals, looting them and then setting the houses on fire.

The case has been sent to the Basic Court in Pristina for review, while the defendant remains in pretrial detention.

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A Kosovo Police statement said that Director General Colonel Gazmend Hoxha, Special Prosecution prosecutor Ilir Morina, Director of the Investigation Department Agron Nezaj, and Director of the War Crimes Investigation Directorate Bashkim Spahiu visited the villages of Abri e Epërme and Poklek i Vjetër in Drenas on Thursday. Some of the most serious massacres of Albanian civilians were committed in these areas during the war.

The institutional representatives met with Imer Deliu and Fadil Muqolli, relatives of the victims, who shared their testimonies about the tragic events. The delegation expressed solidarity with the families and reaffirmed its determination to fully clarify the crimes and bring those responsible to justice.

Kosovo Police said that, in coordination with the Special Prosecution and other law enforcement institutions, they will continue their work to investigate and document war crimes. According to the police, every new testimony and piece of information will be examined seriously.

According to the police, honouring the memory of the victims, supporting their families, and ensuring justice remain a moral and institutional obligation of the Republic of Kosovo.

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