Authorities in Kosovo confirmed that investigations in another case also incriminated suspect Jelena Djukanovic - an employee of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) - who was arrested on suspicion of espionage.
The Kosovo Special Prosecution Office confirmed that its case is being treated as "sensitive" and said it is in contact with OSCE authorities to ensure its professional handling.
Djukanovic was arrested on February 28 at the Jarinje border crossing, in northern Kosovo, by order of the Special Prosecution Office.
In the court session held at the Basic Court in Pristina on March 2, she was sentenced to one month in pre-trial detention.
The court justified this measure by saying that Djukanovic could interfere with evidence, influence witnesses, or repeat the alleged offense.
Under the Kosovo Criminal Code, espionage is considered a serious crime and is punishable by a minimum of five years in prison, if convicted.
Speaking to Radio Free Europe on March 4, special prosecutor Bekim Kodraliu confirmed that Djukanovic is suspected of espionage under Article 124, paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code of Kosovo, in collaboration with another suspect, who is also under investigation.
"The case is sensitive. I confirm that we are also in contact with the OSCE authorities, for its most professional handling," said Kodraliu.
While refraining from revealing details about the second suspect, he confirmed that Djukanovic is a Kosovo citizen with Serbian nationality and that she works for the OSCE Office in the northern part of Kosovo, namely in the Mitrovica region.
Kodraliu did not provide information on how long Djukanovic has been active in Kosovo, saying that other evidence is still being collected and analyzed.
However, he revealed that the investigation into Djukanovic stemmed from a specific case, which led prosecutors to uncover incriminating evidence against her.
"Due to the investigations, we cannot provide more information," Kodraliu told Radio Free Europe.
The OSCE in Kosovo confirmed on March 2 that Djukanovic is a "member of the mission."
"We are in contact with her legal representative and are closely monitoring her well-being, in accordance with our mandate," the mission said, adding that it could not comment further on the case, due to ongoing investigations.
However, he stressed that he continues to cooperate with the relevant authorities and that he is also in contact with the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna.
The OSCE did not respond to Radio Free Europe's questions regarding Djukanovic's engagement in its mission.
Radio Free Europe's attempts to obtain more details from Djukanovic's lawyer were also unsuccessful.
Some Kosovar media wrote that she was a "spy" for the Serbian Security and Intelligence Agency (BIA), but the latter did not respond to REL's questions regarding her case.
Unlike previous cases, when Serbian authorities reacted harshly to the arrests of Serbs in Kosovo, the government in Belgrade did not comment on Djukanovic's detention. Similarly, neither did the Serbian List, the main political party representing Kosovo Serbs./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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