(Updates with the court's decision on release) PRISTINA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - A panel of U.N. judges in Kosovo released on Friday evening three German spies suspected of throwing an explosive charge at the EU office in Kosovo, a lawyer said. In a case that has attracted wide attention because of its aura of mystery, the three Germans were allowed to leave a detention centre and then leave the Balkan country after the judges set them free. "They are free now and can travel to Germany," one of the defence lawyers Adem Ademi said. Ademi did not say when they would fly home. Despite their detention ending, it is not immediately clear whether all investigations against them have been dropped. Kosovo declared independence in February, nine years after the U.N. administration was set to oversee the institutions following NATO bombing. The three were held after the explosive charge was thrown on Nov. 14 at the International Civilian Office which oversees Kosovo's governance, shaking the building and breaking windows but not injuring anyone. A German lawmaker on Thursday confirmed earlier reports that the men worked for the German BND foreign intelligence service. Earlier on Friday, German government spokesman Thomas Steg said the parliamentary committee overseeing intelligence operations had established the three were not involved in terrorist activities and should be released immediately. Steg said that contrary to some reports, the German government was not considering reducing its economic aid to Kosovo as a result of the incident. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; additional reporting by Dave Graham in Berlin; writing by Adam Tanner; editing by Alison Williams)
Former political prisoners of the communist regime protest in front of the government building in Tirana October 16, 2008. The victims of Albania's late Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha picked his 100th ...
