They entered the courtroom in handcuffs. The two Kosovo Albanians accused of espionage for the Serbian Security and Information Agency (BIA), Bedri Shabani and Muharrem Qerimi, were initially asked at the initial hearing how they would plead.
"Honorable Judge, I am completely innocent," said Shabani.
"I do not plead guilty to the criminal offense of espionage, but I plead guilty to the illegal possession of weapons," said Qerimi.
The prosecutor in the case, Fikrije Fejzullahu, asked the jury to find Qerim guilty of the criminal offense of "unlicensed possession of a weapon."
"This admission must be accepted and I propose to the court to issue a ruling on the admission of guilt, since this admission of guilt is in accordance with the procedural provisions, starting from the fact that from the beginning there was a defense and there was an opportunity to sufficiently consult with it," said prosecutor Fikrije Fejzullahu.
Qerimi's defense attorney, Betim Shala, agreed with his client's plea of guilty to the criminal offense of "unlicensed possession of a weapon."
After this development, the presiding judge, Rrahman Beqiri, approved the defendant's plea of guilty.
"In relation to the accused Muharrem Qerimi for the criminal offense for which he pleaded guilty, the presiding judge, in accordance with Article 242, paragraph 8.1, issues this ruling, postponing the announcement of the verdict for the accused Muharrem Qerimi for the criminal offense of 'ownership, control or possession of weapons' until the conclusion of the judicial review in this criminal case," said the presiding judge, Rrahman Beqiri.
The trial panel announced that for the crime of espionage, the parties have the right, within 15 days, to submit objections to the evidence or a request to dismiss the indictment.
The previous hearing of the initial hearing in this case was interrupted at the request of the defendant, Bedri Shabani, who requested additional time to read the indictment. On February 19, 2025, the Kosovo Special Prosecution Office filed an indictment against Bedri Shabani and Muharrem Qerimi, charging them with having collected and sent information and documents to the Serbian BIA regarding the Kosovo Liberation Army, its superiors and members, the Police, the Kosovo Intelligence Agency and the Kosovo Police Inspectorate, as well as specific events and objects, including a massacre. (A2 Televizion)
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