Incident at ONIMA offices: Gjesti released 1 week after arrest

Rapper Besart Kelmendi, known by the stage name "Gjesti", has been released from detention just a week after his arrest in Pristina.

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 police intervention, suspicions were raised against the artist for three criminal offenses: illegal possession of a weapon, intimidation, and damage to property. 

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.