Kosovo Court Dismisses Businessman's Defamation Suit Against BIRN Over Solar Probe

The Basic Court in Prishtina has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Kosovo businessman Blerim Devolli against BIRN Kosovo, its director Jeta Xharra, and public broadcaster RTK. The dismissal occurred after Devolli and his legal team failed to attend the scheduled hearing, leading the court to consider the case withdrawn. The lawsuit originated in 2020 following an award-winning investigative report titled 'Unclean energy: The Kosovar Who Would Own the Sun,' which exposed how shell companies registered in Malta and owned by Devolli exploited solar energy incentive tariffs, thereby violating monopoly regulations. Devolli had alleged that the reporting used denigrating language and contained false information. This ruling represents a significant victory for press freedom advocates, who had characterized the legal action as a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) intended to intimidate journalists. It follows a previous decision where courts overturned a sanction by the Independent Media Commission against the program. The investigation previously received top honors from the EU and the OSCE for economic journalism.