Two federal prosecutors on Monday requested a life sentence for Franc Gergely, also known as Franc Çopja, after he was found guilty of organizing the murder of Ardit Spahiu and of leading a criminal organization.
The guilty verdict was handed down by the Serious Crimes Court in Brussels on Friday evening. The trial has now entered the sentencing phase, which is taking place at the Justitia courthouse in Haren, where the trial, which began six weeks ago, has been moved.
Prosecutors requested not only life imprisonment, but also that the defendant not appear before the court of appeal for at least five years. According to them, the jury should not take into account any mitigating circumstances.
Gergely was found guilty of orchestrating Spahiu's murder, a plan that the indictment alleges had been in the works for months. Spahiu, 38, was executed on November 27, 2020, in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek. He was considered a rival of Gergely and Mikael Qosja and was shot nine times in the back and head.
In her closing arguments, prosecutor Nathalie Franco described the defendant as the “operational brain” of the plot. “He has a certain strategic perception,” she declared, calling him “the most manipulative and dangerous of his brothers,” with a “total lack of empathy” and a “warrior and criminal mentality.”
According to the prosecutor, Gergely is wanted in Albania for several serious criminal offenses, while he has no previous criminal record in Belgium.
Defense lawyer Cédric Vergauwen opposed the request for life imprisonment, calling it an "exemplary sentence."
"According to you, an example should be set. But the punishment should be necessary, not spectacular, and above all tailored to the individual," he argued.
The defense emphasized the defendant's young age, 33 years old, the lack of a criminal conviction in Belgium or Albania - where he is wanted but still untried - as well as the family and historical context. According to the lawyer, Gergely grew up against the backdrop of a "long-standing vendetta" and a clan war originating in Albania.
"Life imprisonment means closing the door to introspection," he declared to the jury.
Before the adjournment, Gergely himself addressed the jury, thanking the members for their time and attention. He asked for “mercy” in determining the sentence, emphasizing his young age.
"I'm just asking for mercy," he said.
Franc Gergely has been in custody in Belgium since December 29, 2023, when he was extradited from the United Arab Emirates. He has Albanian citizenship.
Born in 1992 in Albania, he left the country 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 conflict between Albanian families.
