Kosovo Indicts 32 Suspected Islamist Terrorists

Kosovo's Special Court in Thursday charged 32 persons with terrorism and for having direct or indirect ties to Islamic State, IS, and Al Nusra.

Of the 32 accused, 29 are accused of organizing, participating in and recruitment to terrorism, while three are accused of weapons possession.

According to the Special Prosecution, some of the suspects joined armed groups in Syria, deemed to be terrorist organizations by the United Nations. The Kosovo daily Koha Ditore published the names of those accused on Friday.

Last August, Kosovo police carried out two nationwide raids and arrested around 60 individuals, thought to be involved in or supporting terrorist activities.

Last year the government vowed to fight the perceived rise in radical Islamic activities, declaring it a "threat to national security".

Investigations into those who could be involved in such movements are ongoing, the Special Prosecution said.

The radicalization of Kosovo's traditionally moderate Muslim population has been a worrying phenomenon. The Interior Ministry estimates that around 300 fighters from Kosovo have gone to fight on the side of IS since the start of the conflict.

A recent report released by the Kosovo Center for Security Studies said the phenomenon had been "imported" to Kosovo from neighbouring Macedonia via radical imams.