Protests in Kosovo after the killing of Arlinda Zekaj — Deutsche Welle
Thousands of people took to the streets in Kosovo after the killing of 49-year-old Arlinda Zekaj in the village of Vitomirica near the city of Peja in the west of the country. The woman had repeatedly asked police for protection due to threats from her husband and his family, Deutsche Welle reports.
On October 25, Zekaj again contacted the police with a complaint about her husband, who was detained. She also requested protection from his relatives. Police officers drove her home; at 20:58, she got out of the patrol car. Shortly afterward, law enforcement received an emergency call, and at 21:10 they found the woman's body in her bedroom. According to the publication, she was killed with an axe.
Investigation and protesters' demands
Albert Silaj, the brother of the deceased woman's husband, who is considered the likely attacker, fled after the crime. On October 27, police detained him near Peja; he is now being investigated on suspicion of murder.
On October 26, activists poured red paint on the steps near the government building in Pristina and unfurled a banner reading, “The state killed Arlinda.” During subsequent demonstrations, including on November 1, participants demanded that police officers and prosecutors who handled Zekaj's complaints be held accountable. They also called for the resignation of Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla and Justice Minister Donika Gërvalla. Both refused to leave their posts.
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Previous requests for help
As early as the summer, Zekaj had informed police about threats from her husband. A court in Peja issued a protection order, granted her temporary custody of her son, and allowed her to remain in the family home. Her husband was allowed to live in the same dwelling on the condition that he stay at least two metres away from her, and 20 metres away outside the home.
Three days before the killing, on October 22, the woman said that her husband's relatives, including Silaj, were in the house without her consent. According to her, he threatened to kill her. Despite this, Silaj was questioned only as a witness in the case against her husband. After the killing, several senior police officials from Peja and the surrounding area, as well as the prosecutor who handled Zekaj's complaints, were suspended from work.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti acknowledged that some state institutions had failed. According to Deutsche Welle, since 2010, partners or relatives have killed 55 women in Kosovo; this was often preceded by years of documented violence and complaints that received no response.
