On May 7, the Basic Court of Prishtina approved the prosecutor’s request to place Hysri Selimi in pre-trial detention on suspicion of committing the criminal offence of espionage for Serbia’s Intelligence Agency, BIA.

Following several months of investigation, Kosovo’s Special Prosecution, SPRK, arrested Hysri Selimi on May 6. The arrest was carried out in cooperation with the Kosovo Police, the Directorate for Investigation of Organised Crime, and the Directorate for Investigation of Serious Crimes, with the assistance of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, AKI.

In its ruling, the court stated that pre-detention measures were necessary due to risk of the suspect fleeing justice, evidence or witness tampering, and even reoffending.

“Releasing the defendant would pose a flight risk, given the circumstances of the crime and the manner in which it was committed. He could easily escape to avoid criminal responsibility. Moreover, if released, the defendant could influence witnesses, tamper with evidence, or repeat similar or more serious crimes,” the court’s decision reads.

According to a statement issued by the Special Prosecution on May 6, the arrest included court-ordered searches at two separate locations in Kosovo. During the raids, law enforcement officers seized material evidence, including several mobile phones which may have been used by the suspect for the alleged espionage activities.

The Special Prosecution added that Selimi was recruited by Serbia’s Intelligence and Security Agency, BIA. Prosecutors allege that Selimi collected and then transmitted information to BIA, including data on the number of radicalised individuals in Kosovo and the number of citizens who have travelled to Syria to fight.

The prosecution claims that he also shared information regarding senior officials in Kosovo’s political parties, as well as sensitive details about Kosovo’s security institutions.

According to the SPRK, this information was delivered through in-person meetings, across the border, in Serbian territory. The Prosecution further alleges that Selimi was compensated for these activities, receiving up to 700 euros in payments. 

In its request for detention, the Special Prosecution noted that Selimi had been under covert surveillance. Investigators had intercepted his telecommunications, covertly filmed him in public places, tracked his movements across the Kosovo-Serbia border, and verified the identity of individuals he met with—individuals confirmed by security institutions to be officials from the Serbian Intelligence Agency.

According to sources from KALLXO.com, Hysri Selimi had previously been accused and convicted for his involvement in the conflict in Syria. 

In recent years, hundreds of Kosovo citizens have travelled to conflict zones in Syria and Iraq, with some joining terrorist organisations such as ISIS.

In 2019, Kosovo repatriated 110 of its citizens from Syria—including 34 women, 4 men, and many children. Women and children were placed in rehabilitation and reintegration programs, while many adult returnees faced prosecution for participation in terrorist organisations.

The Islamic Community of Kosovo, BIK, released a public statement calling for increased vigilance among youth, warning them against falling prey to deviant religious ideologies. 

“Do not allow anyone to misuse the name of God for hostile and dark purposes,” the statement read.

This is not the only case of its kind in recent months. In February 2025, Kosovo’s Special Prosecution indicted two other individuals on suspicion of espionage for the Serbian Intelligence Agency.