Endrit Nika pleads innocence in retrial for Argentine woman's death

The retrial of Endrit Nika for the 2023 death of his Argentine girlfriend, Maria Clara Urdangaray, continued at the Prishtina Basic Court. Nika has maintained his innocence, stating he is “100 percent innocent.”

According to the indictment, the incident occurred in August 2023 at a hotel in Fushë Kosovë. Prosecutors allege that following a dispute, Nika assaulted Urdangaray and threw her from a sixth-floor window. She later died at a hospital in Pristina.

During the proceedings, witnesses provided conflicting accounts. A hotel receptionist, Erza Limani, testified that she heard a loud noise around 2:00 AM and found Urdangaray on the ground surrounded by glass and a window frame. Limani noted that Nika appeared tense and nervous when police were eventually called. Meanwhile, Nika’s father, Ismail Nika, testified that his son claimed the fall was an accident, telling him, “By God, don't touch me, it fell on its own.”

Defense attorney Tomë Gashi argued that the defense would prove the defendant's innocence, claiming evidence would show the hotel involved was not a legally registered establishment.