Police arrested father denies that his son planned terrorist activities

Kosovo police on Sunday arrested five people allegedly planning terrorist attacks in Kosovo.

One of those arrested is Ardian Djuray from Peja.

Radio Free Europe has managed to talk to Ardian's father, Remember Qerin, who has denied that his son was involved in some act or planning terrorist acts.

There is no real thing there, says Qerkini, who lives in Germany.

Kerin said he does not recognise any of the other persons arrested in the action, in which his son was arrested on October 10th.

Kerin says he has been pleased with his son, who he says has practiced religion like any other Muslim.

It holds religion like everyone else. You work, you come home and there's nothing I can say. You know, God, the boy's been pretty good working and becoming a parent”, says Qerkini.

He has flatly denied that his son had been a supporter of an extremist group.

In the Kosovo Special Prosecutor's Community, it was said that during the raids a fear was found in one of the suspect's homes, but Kujtim Qerkeyni says he had bought that fear last year in Germany to take pictures at family parties.

And that fears, he said, was found in his home in the town of Peja during the raids Kosovo Police conducted.

I bought a small 80-euro drop to take photographs in Germany a year ago. I have been in the summer (in Kosovo) and I have married my daughter and taken her there to take pictures, and in the papers she writes that they have found fear and that fear is as fisty. That's a toy. What more do you want me to say?

The site says that nothing else has been confiscated in his home in Pec.

Djuray was tried earlier for terrorism

Kosovo's special prosecutor had filed charges against Ardian Djurovic for allegations that during 2014-2015, living in Germany, he had become a supporter of the Islamist militant group's ideology and his father had submitted him to the police, while Germany's police on April 18th 2015 had deported him to Kosovo.

In 2018 he was sentenced to 1 year and 5 months in prison by the Pristina Foundation Court.

In the act of the Constitutional Court, there was also an estimate of how much time Djuriaj had spent in custody, and he did not need to go to the suffering of punishment.

But. The case was appealed to the Court of Appeals, which had finally freed him from criminal charges involving terrorism.

According to the Court of Appeals, the First Court and the prosecution have had no direct evidence, but only circumstantial evidence, which has not proved beyond well-based suspicion that the accused has crossed the border in Syria or attached to any terrorist group.

Arrested on October 12

Ardian Qerkeyni is only one of five arrested for criminal acts: “Preparing terrorist acts or criminal acts against the constitutional order and security of the Republic of Kosovo”, “Chief of terrorist activity”, “Import, export, supply, transport, production, exchange, mediation or unauthorized sale of weapons or explosives<5>

During raids on various locations in Kosovo, those arrested have been found in possession of firearms as well as explosive devices.

The REL has tried during the day to confirm the names of other detainees at the Kosovo Special Prosecutor's Office, but neither have prosecutors who have been notified nor information offices provided such information.

Kosovo Special Prosecutor's spokesman, Ekrem Luftiu, has only confirmed to Radio Free Europe that within the deadline there will be a request for the appointment of the detention measure.

Those arrested in this case are expected to appear before the Pristina Foundation Court on Tuesday, October 12th.

How punished can they be if convicted?

The works for which those arrested are suspected include sentences of up to five years in prison.

Criminal work “Preparing terrorist acts or criminal acts against the constitutional order and security of the Republic of Kosovo”, according to the Penal Code, sentenced to imprisonment of one to five years.

The other criminal work for which the detainees are suspected is “conducting the terrorist work”, which is sentenced to no less than five years in prison.

While the other work Kosovo Special Prosecution accuses those arrested, “Import, export, supply, transport, production, exchange, mediation or unauthorised sale of weapons or explosive matter” is fined to 7,500 euros and in prison of one to eight years.

Arrests are also suspected of non-authorized possession of weapons”.

For this criminal act, the Kosovo Criminal Code says anyone who holds ownership controls or owns weapons in violation of the applicable law regarding such weapons is sentenced to fines of up to seven thousand and five hundred 7,500 euros or imprisonment of up to five years.

In the Kosovo Special Prosecutor's Media Report, it has not been disclosed whether those arrested have any connections with terrorist organisations.

But media in Pristina have reported that two of the five arrested have previously been arrested for alleged criminal acts of terrorisation.

Close Kosovars to terrorist organisations

Since the outbreak of armed conflict in 2011, over 350 Kosovars traveled to Syria and Iraq.

Most men who joined terrorist organisations there, mainly the militant group, the Islamic State.

According to Kosovo institutions data on more than 80 Kosovars were killed in fighting areas.

In the group of Kosovars traveling toward Syria, except men had wives and children.

Kosovo became one of the first countries in the world to organised its citizens from Syria camps.

In April 2019, in a secret operation supported by the United States, 110 Kosovars were repatriated, four IS fighters, 32 women and 74 children.

In another repatriation operation, on July 17th 2021, Kosovo institutions repatriated 11 citizens from conflict zones in Syria.

For this operation, the US named Kosovo a leading country in the fight against terrorism and extremism.

The return of these citizens demonstrates Kosovo's will to take responsibility for its citizens while setting an example for others. Kosovo is the leader in the fight against terrorism and extremism”, the American Embassy in Pristina, published on July 17th 2021, was told in a Twitter post.

So far, over 250 Kosovars have returned from Syria to Kosovo.

Authorities in Pristina claim 96 citizens from Kosovo still remain in Syria.

*Marker: Ardian Djulaj is the son of memory Karkuni, but he bears his mother's last name