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CRIME

Court frees German Kosovo bomb suspects

An international court in Kosovo has freed three suspected German spies accused of bombing an EU office in the Balkan nation, and the men were flown back to Germany, reports said Saturday.

Court frees German Kosovo bomb suspects
A hooded suspect escorted by an official. Photo DPA

“Our appeal was accepted and their detention was revoked,” lawyer Fehmije Gashi-Bytyci told reporters in Pristina Friday.

Adem Ademi, another defence lawyer, said that according to the court’s decision, the three Germans, who allegedly belong to the German intelligence services the BND, could return home. No further details have emerged on the court’s action.

Early Saturday, the three men boarded a private plane in the Kosovo capital Pristina, and were flown home to Germany, wire service reports said.

The German nationals were arrested on November 19 on suspicion of having bombed the Pristina headquarters of the International Civilian Office (ICO), run by EU special envoy Pieter Feith.

On Thursday, the UN court deferred to international authorities its decision on an appeal by lawyers acting for the three against their month-long suspension based on a lack of evidence.

The international judges, present in Kosovo as part of a post-war mission of the United Nations, decided to accept the defence’s appeal.

Gashi-Bytyci said the three, whose identity was not revealed, “are now free and will defend themselves while on bail.”

Ademi said the defence had also demanded the three to be cleared from all charges, but this request “was not considered at all.”

Earlier on Friday, the Berlin government called on Kosovo authorities to release the three, but refused to reveal their identity or confirm that they worked for the BND.

“The German government … calls for the immediate release of the three German citizens,” government spokesman Thomas Steg said, reiterating the trio were “not implicated in the terrorist attack.”

Kosovo and German media reports said the trio were investigating the blast for the BND. Since they were not registered with the Kosovan government, however, they had no diplomatic immunity.

The explosion came amid opposition by Kosovo Albanians to the planned deployment of a European Union civilian mission focused on police, judiciary and customs by early December under an agreement reached between the United Nations and Serbia.

No one was injured in the blast, which shattered the windows of the ICO office.

In February, ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia, which has rejected the move as a breach of international law.

More than 50 states, including the United States and most EU members, have recognized Kosovo’s independence.

BUSINESS

Elon Musk visits Tesla’s sabotage-hit German factory

Elon Musk travelled Wednesday to Tesla's factory near Berlin to lend his workers "support" after the plant was forced to halt production by a suspected arson attack on nearby power lines.

Elon Musk visits Tesla's sabotage-hit German factory

The Tesla CEO addressed thousands of employees on arrival at the site, accusing “eco-terrorists” of the sabotage as he defended his company’s green credentials.

With his son X AE A-XII in his arms, Musk said: “I am here to support you.”

The billionaire’s visit came a week after power lines supplying the electric carmaker’s only European plant were set on fire in an act of sabotage claimed by a far-left group called the Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group).

READ ALSO: Far-left group claims ‘sabotage’ on Tesla’s German factory

Musk had said then that the attack was “extremely dumb”, while the company said it would cost it several hundred million euros.

A week on, the lights have come back on at the site, but Andre Thierig, who heads the site, said on LinkedIn that it would “take a bit of time” before production is back to full speed.

Industry experts have warned that the reputational impact caused by the sabotage on the region could be more severe than the losses suffered by Tesla.

Tesla’s German plant started production in 2022 following an arduous two-year approval and construction process dogged by administrative and legal obstacles.

Tesla wants to expand the site by 170 hectares and boost production up to one million vehicles annually to feed Europe’s growing demand for electric cars and take on rivals who are shifting away from combustion engine vehicles.

But the plans have annoyed local residents, who voted against the project in a non-binding ballot last month.

After the vote, Tesla said it might have to rethink the plans. Environmental activists opposed to the expansion of the factory have recently also set up a camp in a wooded area near the plant.

READ ALSO: Why is Tesla’s expansion near Berlin so controversial?

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