Kosovo Detains Man Suspected of Spying for Serbian Intelligence

Fehim Sali, second left, at a court hearing in Pristina on August 14, 2026. Photo: BIRN Pristina Basic Court on Friday ordered 30 days of detention for a dual Kosovo and Serbia citizen, Fehim Sali, who is suspected of spying for Serbia’s intelligence agency, the BIA. It is alleged that he passed the BIA information about Kosovo officials, politicians and Islamist radicals, including potential recruitment targets, and received money in return. Sali, a resident of Kosovo’s southern Dragash/Dragas municipality, was arrested on Thursday at the Merdare border crossing point while entering from Serbia. He appeared before the Basic Court in Pristina on Friday. “The court’s assessment took into account the circumstances relating to the risk of absconding, the risk of influencing witnesses and evidence, and the risk of repetition or continuation of the criminal offence,” the court said in a statement. According to the prosecution file, Sali is suspected of “maintaining contact with BIA officers using four different mobile phones”, which were found during raids at his house on Thursday, alongside around 40,000 euros in cash. The prosecution file alleges that Sali “worked as a recruited agent for Serbia’s Security Information Agency, BIA, in exchange for material benefits”. The file alleges that he acted on the instructions of a senior BIA officer identified as Zelimir Matovic, nicknamed Zeljko. It alleges that Sali provided the BIA with information about Kosovo’s political situation and helped it identify officials of Kosovo’s own intelligence agency, the AKI. According to the case file, he photographed some of its officials to facilitate their identification. Sali is also accused of providing information about members of the radical Islamist Wahhabi movement as well as other people whom he allegedly proposed to the BIA officer as potential targets for contact and recruitment. According to prosecutors, Sali also “mediated matters and documents connected to Serbian state institutions and maintained contacts with people with political and social influence in Serbia and Kosovo, particularly members of non-majority communities”. The prosecution stated that he provided some of these people with “guidance on political activity, with the aim of gathering and transmitting information of interest to the BIA”. Prosecutors argue that these activities were carried out against the state interests of Kosovo and endangered its constitutional order and national security. The prosecution also alleges that the 40,000 euros found and seized during a search of Sali’s home came from his alleged activities on behalf of the BIA. According to the case file, the evidence against Sali includes his own statement. Prosecutors claim he described in detail his alleged activities, including how and where he communicated with BIA officials, exchanged information and provided assistance to the Serbian intelligence service. Prosecutor Bekim Kodraliu told media that Sali admitted having been recruited and maintained regular contact with BIA officials. “The suspect himself stated that he had been recruited and had ongoing contacts with BIA officials,” Kodraliu said. The case comes two months after another Kosovo espionage conviction involving Serbia’s intelligence service. In June, the Pristina Basic Court sentenced a Kosovo Albanian man, Hysri Selimi, a former Islamic State member, to six years in prison for espionage. Prosecutors said Selimi had provided the BIA with information about religious radicalisation in Kosovo, former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, and people who had joined Islamic State.