Kosovo’s former intelligence chief, Driton Gashi, was convicted of “abuse of official post or authority” on Wednesday in consequence of deporting six Turkish people who had permanent residence or temporary permits unlawfully. According to the basic court in Pristina, Gashi was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison and not allowed to serve in any public positions for four years after being released from the custody.

In March 2018, six Turkish citizens were arrested and taken out of Kosovo for allegedly threating the national security which was not proved. Gashi deported them before letting the court consider this charge and informing the prime minister, president and prosecutor general. Ramush Haradinaj, Kosovo’s then-prime minister, dismissed the interior minister and the secret service immediately after the arrest and deportation.

According to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the arrest, detention and deportation of those six Turkish citizens were arbitrary and violated the international human rights norms and standards.

In Kosovo, these six Turkish citizens worked in schools owned by Fethullah Gulen, who was accused by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being responsible for the attempted military coup in July 2016. After the attempted military coup, many Gulen supporters were arrested, and those six Turkish citizens were also imprisoned after their return to Turkey.