The Kosovo Special Prosecution has indicted journalist and political commentator Fatmir Sheholli on charges of espionage and blackmail, alleging he was recruited by Serbia’s intelligence agency, BIA, and acted on instructions from one of its officials to collect and pass on information about Kosovo’s institutions, political activities, and security situation. 

According to the indictment, seen by Kallxo.com, Sheholli worked for Serbia’s BIA, until his arrest in October 2025, “collecting and passing on information about Kosovo’s political activities, security situation, and state institutions.”

The prosecution alleges that Sheholli maintained contact with Bojan Dimic, who is identified as a senior BIA official, and carried out his orders.

“The defendant F.Sh. is accused of collecting, securing, and transmitting through the telephone, messages data, information and documents related to political activities, the security situation, and the functioning of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo,” the prosecution said in a statement. 

Some of the material concerned Serb-owned properties in Kosovo, business activities, and the functioning of Kosovo’s institutions.

According to the indictment, on August 5, 2025, Sheholli sent a document labeled as ‘Top Secret 2’ to a person identified as Viktor Makedonija, outlining a covert political and strategic plan involving influential figures in sports, music, media and politics, that the prosecution claims aimed to expand the influence of Islamic radicalisation in Kosovo and the region and to destabilise the country.

The prosecution alleges that they sought to create an environment that would portray Kosovo as a radicalised and extremist state, damaging its international standing and influencing Western countries’ positions towards Kosovo.

The prosecution alleges that Sheholli was also involved in a plan to discredit and recruit acting Kosovo PM Albin Kurti, during his time as a political prisoner in Nis, Serbia, in an alleged operation referred to in the prosecution file as “Leptir,” a Serbian word meaning “butterfly,” but also the name of a type of knife, based on a photograph of a document labelled the “Leptir” plan found on Sheholli’s phone. 

The prosecution file notes that the document was allegedly drawn up by Serbia’s state security structures in 2001 and was signed by the head of the third sector of Serbia’s state security service. 

The prosecution also alleges that on September 30, 2025, Sheholli gave material obtained from Dimic to journalist Milaim Zeka for publication through his “Pa Rrotulla” programme.

The prosecution file also states that intercepted communications between Sheholli and Zeka show that Sheholli was passing on Dimic’s instructions concerning the timing of the publication. Zeka allegedly received 1,000 euros for the publication.

Sheholli, who was head of the Pristina-based Institute for Advancing Interethnic Relations until the arrest, denied that Zeka knew about his direct communication with Dimic. He also told the prosecution that Zeka had requested 3,000 to 4,000 euros for translating, editing, and publishing the material.

The prosecution claims that one month after his arrest in October 2025, during a visit by his family to the Gjilan Detention Centre, intercepted conversations showed Sheholli mentioning to his relatives that he had maintained contact with Dimic, but claimed that it concerned private matters relating to property.

“Sheholli mentioned that he received a USB drive, transcripts, and 5,000 euros from a person in North Mitrovica, materials which, according to him, contained intercepted communications and information concerning abuse of office and corruption. He stated that he had handed the materials to journalist Milaim Zeka for publication, giving him 1,000 for publishing them,” the prosecution case file says.

Kallxo.com tried to contact Zeka for comment regarding his mention in the indictment, but no response was provided. 

Sheholli is also charged with blackmail in connection with businessman Arben Jetullahu.

The prosecution file alleges that between 2022 and December 2025, Sheholli pressured Jetullahu to pay more than 13,000 euros, threatening that video recordings and other information damaging to the businessman would be made public if he refused.

According to the indictment, Sheholli was in detention when some of the alleged threats were delivered through a family member. Jetullahu told investigators that he eventually paid 500 euros per month to a relative of Sheholli after being threatened with publication of the videos.

Jetullahu also told authorities in May and June of 2026 that he had transferred money to Jetullahu on other occasions as well over the years.  

Sheholli was arrested on October 9, 2025, on suspicion of espionage. The Prishtina Basic court ordered his detention the following day, and the measure was later extended.

On October 7, 2025, Kallxo.com published an investigation into a file concerning Kosovo’s Intelligence Agency, KIA, that had been submitted to the Special Prosecution mid-2024 which also mentioned Fatmir Sheholli.

According to an inspection report, former KIA director Driton Gashi spent more than 1 million euros from the Special Operational Fund, including 500,000 euros for which the recipient could not be identified. The agency’s chief inspector, Kujtim Shala, however, confirmed that the other 500,000 had been received by Fatmir Sheholli.

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