Photo: Gestie/ Instagram

The Basic Court in Pristina has taken the decision regarding the security measure against the artist Besart Kelmendi, known to the public by the stage name Gjesti. After hearing the parties in the session, the court decided to assign him a one-month pre-trial detention measure.

According to the official announcement from the General Department, the decision came after the request submitted by the Basic Prosecution Office in Pristina. There are well-founded suspicions against the defendant for committing criminal offenses of intimidation, damage to property, and unauthorized possession or control of weapons.

The court assessed that the imposition of pre-trial detention currently represents the most appropriate measure to ensure the orderly and unimpeded development of the criminal proceedings.

The reasoning of the decision states that there are circumstances indicating the risk of the defendant fleeing, the possibility of influencing witnesses, and the risk of repeating the criminal offense. For these reasons, the court assessed that detention is the most necessary measure at this stage of the investigation.

However, the artist's defense still has legal means available to challenge this decision. 

Gjesti was arrested on March 11, 2026 in Prishtina on charges of illegal possession of weapons. According to the police, the arrest took place at around 3:00 PM on “Mehmet Isahi” Street, where the artist was stopped and then escorted to the police station for questioning. After the interview, by decision of the prosecutor, he was sent to police custody for 48 hours.

A day later, on March 12, 2026, the media also reported the circumstances that led to the arrest. According to sources, the singer had gone to the offices of the Onima music company, where he had a verbal conflict with its manager, Erkand Shabani. The situation allegedly became tense during the argument and it is reported that a computer on the company's premises was damaged, which led the managers to notify the police for threats and damage to property.

After the police intervention, suspicions were raised against the artist for three criminal offenses: illegal possession of weapons, intimidation and damage to property. Meanwhile, the Basic Prosecution Office in Pristina requested the imposition of a pre-trial detention measure, while the hearing for the review of the request was scheduled to be held on March 13, 2026.

The conflict between Gjesti and the Onima company is not new. Tensions between the parties became public in the summer of 2025, when the artist stated that he had stopped publishing musical projects due to disagreements with his distributor regarding the rights and distribution of the music. The company, on the other hand, denied the allegations and stated that the issue was related to the artist's attempt to break away from the existing contract.