Details of the file / From murder charges to Laert Haxhiu’s group! Kristi Bixheku leaves prison, how his sentence years were reduced

The Special Court of Appeal has ordered the immediate release from pre-trial detention of Kristi Bixheku, who had been accused by SPAK as part of Laert Haxhiu’s group. The decision was taken on the reasoning that he had already completed the sentence given by the first instance.

The Appeal accepted Bixheku’s request, found the security measure of “arrest in prison” extinguished and ordered his immediate release, provided he is not held in prison for another case or sentence. SPAK was charged with implementing the decision.

Kristi Bixheku was arrested in the Netherlands on 4 March 2025, as part of the procedure for his extradition to Albania. On 14 March 2025 he was extradited and continued to be held in pre-trial detention in Albania.

According to the reasoning of the Special Court of Appeal, the period spent in pre-trial detention in the Netherlands for extradition purposes must also be counted in the detention time.

Bixheku was sentenced by the GJKKO on 9 June 2026 to 3 years and 6 months in prison for the criminal offence of “Supporting the perpetrator of a crime”. Because of the shortened trial, the sentence was reduced by one third, to 2 years and 4 months in prison, or 28 months.

The Appeal also applied the rule under which one day of pre-trial detention counts as one and a half days of prison. According to the court’s calculations, the 28-month sentence was fulfilled on 24 September 2026.

On 3 October, when the Appeal examined the request, Bixheku had served, according to the court’s calculation, 2 years, 4 months and 12 days of imprisonment.

An important element of the decision is the fact that the sentence given by the GJKKO on 9 June had not yet become final, as the case had been appealed and was before the Appeal.

However, the Appeal reasoned that this circumstance cannot justify the continuation of the deprivation of liberty at a time when the pre-trial detention time calculated under the law had exceeded the sentence imposed by the first instance.

The court referred to Article 261/1, letter “c” of the Criminal Procedure Code, under which the security measure is extinguished when the duration of pre-trial detention is greater than the sentence imposed.

For this reason, the Appeal ordered Bixheku’s immediate release, if there is no other measure or sentence against him preventing his release.

The case against Kristi Bixheku is linked to SPAK criminal proceeding no. 227/2023. In that proceeding, he was accused, among other things, of “Destruction of property with explosives”, “Structured criminal group”, committing criminal offences by a structured criminal group, unlawful possession and production of weapons, explosives and ammunition, and providing the conditions and material means to commit murders.

The file mentions episodes that occurred in Lushnja, including the events involving Bujar Turku and Resmije Turku, as well as an episode linked to Genci Hilda.

However, the First Instance GJKKO had declared Bixheku innocent of some of the main charges, assessing that their commission by him was not proven.

In conclusion, the criminal liability for which he was convicted was “Supporting the perpetrator of a crime”, a sentence which after the application of the shortened trial was reduced to 2 years and 4 months in prison.

With its latest decision, the Special Court of Appeal found that this time had been served and ordered his immediate release.