The Basic Prosecution of Prishtina on Friday charged Xhevat Krasniqi, a suspended professor of mathematics at the University of Prishtina, with the sexual harassment of students at the Faculty of Medicine.

According to the prosecution, between January 2022 and December 2023, in the premises of the Faculty of Medicine, Krasniqi engaged in inappropriate verbal conduct of a sexual nature. The indictment identifies four individuals as victims.

“Having a position of authority over the injured parties, the accused addressed the injured parties with seductive words,” the prosecution told BIRN via email on Friday.

Krasniqi has not spoken publicly about the allegations. BIRN made repeated attempts to contact him by telephone and message, but he did not respond by the time of publication.

The case gained public attention when 27 students filed a joint complaint in February 2024 accusing Krasniqi of sexual harassment.

Three female students also told BIRN Kosovo’s Kallxo Pernime TV programme in April 2024 that they had been sexually harassed, while two of their male peers, supported their claims as eyewitnesses. Another student gave a written statement making further harassment allegations.

After the broadcast, two additional allegations of sexual harassment by Krasniqi emerged. BIRN received testimonies that Krasniqi had allegedly sexually harassed pupils at Sami Frashëri High School in Prishtina in 2000 and a female student, who later dropped out, at the Faculty of Education in Gjakova in the 2012/13 academic year.

The public testimonies on the TV programme led to protests by students and civil society groups, demanding accountability and institutional action.

In response, the rector at the University of Pristina at the time, Qerim Qerimi, suspended Krasniqi, acting on the recommendation of the university’s Ethics Council. The council advised the suspension to remain in place until the State Prosecution had concluded its investigation.

Pristina University’s current rector, Arben Hajrullahu, told BIRN that the decision to suspend Krasniqi indefinitely on a 50 per cent salary needs to be assessed by legal experts, but a court ruling is needed for a permanent decision.

“At the point when there is a ruling which proves him guilty, he will be permanently suspended that same day or the first moment possible,” Hajrullahu said. A not-guilty verdict would mean he will be allowed back to work, he added.