A court in Kosovo has ordered one-month pre-trial detention for seven people, including an 18-year-old, suspected of involvement in the premeditated killing of police sergeant Muhamed Lika earlier this month, amid growing concerns over a potential radical Islamic motive.
The main suspect, Rejhan Bela, was arrested on April 21 alongside six adult men – Haki Bela, Rilind Murati, Vatan Çaka, Edmond Lika, Shkëlqim Kuka, and Diamant Gashi – who are accused of aiding him in the April 1 murder in the southern town of Kaçanik, near the border with North Macedonia.
Prosecutors allege the group followed Sergeant Lika after his shift at the local police station and tracked him to his apartment building. Bela, who had just turned 18, is believed to have approached the officer from behind inside the building and shot him four times at close range.
Court documents suggest that the suspects surveilled Lika’s movements and coordinated the attack in advance. Surveillance footage allegedly shows Bela, Murati, and Çaka scouting the crime scene prior to the killing. Authorities believe Haki Bela monitored Lika throughout the evening, and Gashi later helped Bela escape and provided him with food and shelter.
The Basic Prosecution Office in Ferizaj stated that the killing occurred around 23:00 on April 1 on Idriz Seferi Street. Prosecutors say the act was committed “deliberately and with prior preparation.”
While defense lawyers have denied the involvement of some of the accused and stressed that the case is not linked to religious extremism, a social media post allegedly made by Bela just one day before the murder has drawn public attention.
According to local media outlet Paparaci, on March 31, a post appeared on a TikTok account believed to belong to Bela, featuring a religious chant and a caption reading: “May Allah release all Muslim brothers from prison.”
The post, which came just hours before the killing, has raised suspicions of a possible radical Islamic motive, though prosecutors have not officially confirmed any ideological connection. The defense maintains that no evidence links the case to religious extremism.
Sergeant Muhamed Lika was gunned down in the stairwell of his apartment building late at night, a day after the TikTok post surfaced. Bela and the six other suspects were arrested 20 days later in a coordinated police operation.
The Basic Court in Ferizaj has ordered 30-day detention for all seven suspects as investigations continue.
Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, has largely been a secular state but has faced occasional concerns over radicalization, particularly among youth influenced by online content.
