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"Extremely dangerous individual", Belgian prosecution seeks life imprisonment for Franc Çopjan

2026-02-16 20:57:24Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Franc Copja

Two Belgian federal prosecutors on Monday requested a life sentence for Franc Gergelyn, also known as Franc Çopja, after he was found guilty by the Serious Crimes Court in Brussels of ordering the murder of Ardit Spahiu and of leading a criminal organization.

The guilty verdict was handed down on Friday evening, while the trial has now entered the sentencing phase, which is taking place at the "Justitia" courthouse in Haren, where the trial that began six weeks ago has been moved.

Prosecutors requested not only life imprisonment, but also that the defendant be sent to serve the sentence in a correctional facility for a period of at least five years. They argued that the jury should not consider mitigating circumstances in determining the sentence.

Franc Çopja was found guilty of organizing the murder of Ardit Spahiu, a plan that according to the indictment had been prepared for months. Spahiu, 38, was executed on November 27, 2020 in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek. He was considered a rival of Franc Gergely and Mikael Qosje and was shot with nine bullets in the back and head.

In her final presentation, prosecutor Nathalie Franco described Gergelyn (Çopja) as the “operational mastermind” of the plot that led to the murder.

“He has a certain strategic perception,” she declared. According to the prosecutor, Gergely is “the most manipulative and dangerous of his brothers,” has a “total lack of empathy,” is an “extremely dangerous individual” with a “warlike and criminal mentality.”

The prosecutor added that Franc Gergely (Çopja) "is wanted in Albania for several offenses related to serious crimes," emphasizing that he has no criminal record in Belgium.

In his response, defense attorney Cédric Vergauwen opposed the request for life imprisonment. “You are asking for nothing more than an exemplary sentence,” he declared, addressing federal prosecutors.

According to the lawyer, by seeking such a severe sentence “to set an example,” prosecutors “leave the realm of law to enter the realm of symbol.” Vergauwen stressed that a sentence must be “necessary,” not “spectacular,” and above all “adapted to the individual involved.”

While prosecutors argue that there are no "mitigating circumstances," the defense brought to attention his past, age, and lack of a criminal conviction in Belgium or Albania, where he is wanted but still untried. "Life imprisonment means closing the door to introspection," the lawyer declared.

Franc Gergely (Çopja) was born in 1992 in Albania, a year after the fall of the communist regime established in 1944. According to the defense, he grew up against the backdrop of a “long-standing feud.” The clan war, which was mentioned during the trial, “goes beyond us” and “originates in Albania,” according to lawyer Vergauwen.

Before the hearing adjourned, Gergely himself addressed the jury, thanking them for their attention and time. He asked for “mercy” in determining the sentence and mentioned his young age, 33. “I’m just asking for mercy,” he repeated.

Franc Gergely has been in custody in Belgium since December 29, 2023, the day he was extradited from the United Arab Emirates. He has Albanian citizenship. He left Albania at the age of 16 to work in Italy and then settled in Dubai in 2019. According to the indictment, he was active in drug trafficking and involved in a “clan war” between Albanian families.


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