A Kosovo citizen has been arrested at the Merdare border crossing on suspicion of espionage, in a sensitive case that Kosovo authorities are presenting as prolonged cooperation with the Serbian intelligence service. At the center of the investigation is Fehim Sali, who according to the official version was detained after a joint operation by intelligence services, police and the Special Prosecutor’s Office.
What authorities claim
According to Kosovo Police, the arrest was carried out in cooperation with the Kosovo Intelligence Agency and the Special Prosecutor’s Office, while Sali is suspected of the criminal offense of “Espionage.”
Authorities claim that he cooperated over a long period with Serbia’s Security Information Agency, known as the BIA. The official statement also mentions suspected contact with an official of that agency, identified as Zhelimir Matoviç.
Profile of the detainee and additional suspicions
Fehim Sali is reported to have worked as a teacher at the Serbian school “9 Maji” in Rapçë, Dragash. According to police, he had also previously been part of the Consultative Council for Communities under the Office of the President of Kosovo.
Beyond the main suspicion of espionage, investigators are also verifying other claims. According to authorities, he is suspected of having mediated issues related to property and Serbian documents, as well as possibly collecting votes in support of Serbian President Aleksandar Vuçiç.
Search of the home and seized money
After the detention in Merdare, the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Serious Crimes carried out a search of the suspect’s home in Dragash.
According to Kosovo Police, during the operation authorities seized 39,500 euros, 500 dinars, four mobile phones and various documents. Authorities say these materials may have value for the investigation, but at this stage no fuller explanation has been made public regarding the origin of the money or the evidentiary weight of the documents found.
What comes next in the procedure
By decision of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, the suspect has been detained for 48 hours.
Within the legal deadline, the Special Prosecutor’s Office is expected to submit to the Basic Court in Prishtina a request for a pre-trial detention measure. At this stage, the suspicions raised by the authorities remain under investigation and will have to pass judicial scrutiny.
The case touches on an extremely sensitive area for security and Kosovo-Serbia relations, but so far the public has only the version of the investigative institutions. Beyond the official announcement, it remains to be seen how many of these claims will be supported by evidence in court proceedings.