Unverified ‘Top sekret 2’ document fuels debate over alleged BIA links to Kosovo’s Muslim community amid espionage indictment

A document referred to as “Top sekret 2” and listed among evidentiary materials in an indictment against Kosovo citizen Fatmir Sheholli has unleashed a public controversy that reaches beyond the criminal case itself, raising questions about authorship, authenticity and the wider social consequences of unverified allegations. The Special Prosecution of Kosovo included the document in charges filed against Sheholli but has not publicly established whether it was produced by Serbia’s intelligence agency, the Agjencia e Sigurisë dhe Informacionit (BIA).

Authorities say the indictment, which the Special Prosecution submitted to the Basic Court in Prishtinë on August 25, accuses Sheholli of “spiunazh” (espionage) and “shantazh” (blackmail). Sheholli was arrested in October 2025 on suspicion of espionage and remains in pretrial detention. Prosecutors allege he was recruited by the BIA and collected and transmitted information about political activities, security conditions and the functioning of Kosovo institutions. To date, however, Sheholli has not been found guilty and the origin and veracity of the “Top sekret 2” material remain publicly unverified.

According to the contents attributed to that file in the indictment, and to a photograph the prosecution says was found on Sheholli’s phone, the document describes funds gathered by “ambasadat islamike” in Belgrade to be invested in building mosques in Kosovo. The document purportedly casts these activities as part of a strategy to extend Islamic influence, sow division among Albanians, encourage emigration and shift Western perceptions of Kosovo—ultimately to create conditions favourable to Serbia’s aim of reincorporating Kosovo under its jurisdiction. The Special Prosecution has not disclosed the evidence it used to substantiate the document’s authenticity or its authorship.

The inclusion of the document in the indictment has prompted swift denial from the Islamic Community of Kosovo (Bashkësia Islame e Kosovës, BIK). BIK officials say the claims amount to a politically or ideologically motivated smear and are calling on judicial and security institutions to investigate the document’s provenance. Ramadan Shkodra, a BIK official, told Radio Evropa e Lirë that the document is “a paçavure” and described the public reaction as an orchestrated campaign against the institution and the Muslim community.

“Po e helmojnë popullatën, po vënë në lajthitje njerëzit dhe, çka është më e keqja, bëjnë një fushatë kundër vetë popullit të Kosovës, kundër trashëgimisë,” Shkodra said, arguing that mosque construction in Kosovo follows legal municipal procedures and community approvals. He urged authorities to locate any legal irregularity and said donors’ paths can be verified through state institutions.

Despite these denials, the indictment’s public dissemination has also produced a flood of unverified claims on social media. Groups such as Lëvizja për Rikthim, which publicly advocates “për braktisjen e fesë islame dhe rikthimin në besimin e të parëve katolikë,” posted that “në çdo xhami të Kosovës” there is at least one “spiun” of the BIA—the kind of blanket accusation civil society experts warn can lead to collective blame and interreligious polarization. Arbër Gashi, who confirmed the post reflects his organization’s stance, did not provide documented evidence to support these sweeping claims when asked by Radio Evropa e Lirë.

Legal and civic rights experts have expressed concern about both the substance of the allegations and the procedural handling of court materials. Ehat Miftaraj, executive director of the Kosovo Law Institute (Instituti i Kosovës për Drejtësi), described the public release of indictment materials as either “papërgjegjësi” or a leak, and stressed that items presented by prosecutors should be treated as alleged evidence until evaluated by a court. He warned that such disclosures can have strategic consequences by generating unstable hypotheses, misinterpretations and divisions on religious grounds that are advantageous to external actors seeking to influence public opinion.

Radio Evropa e Lirë asked the Special Prosecution whether it holds evidence proving the document’s authorship by BIA and what weight the prosecution assigns to it. REL also contacted BIA directly; neither agency had provided a response by the time of publication. The newsroom additionally queried the Kosovo Police and the Kosovo Intelligence Agency about any verified instances of mosque financing from Serbian sources linked to state structures, but had received no reply.

Kosovo is constitutionally secular, and the 2024 census shows 93.49 percent of citizens declared themselves Muslim, 2.31 percent Orthodox and 1.75 percent Catholic. Against this backdrop, authorities, religious leaders and legal observers say it is essential that claims implicating entire communities be handled with care. The unresolved questions about the origin and authenticity of “Top sekret 2,” together with the rapid spread of unverified allegations online, underscore the risk that judicial processes and contested intelligence claims can spill into social conflict—potentially undermining intercommunal trust and the rule of law.