Protests Across Kosovo After Woman Killed Despite Repeated Pleas for Police Protection
Thousands have protested in Kosovo after the killing of 49-year-old Arlinda Zekaj, who had repeatedly asked police for help. Demonstrators demand charges against officers and prosecutors and the resignation of two ministers.
Widespread protests have been under way in Kosovo, a country in the Balkans, since late October following the murder of 49-year-old Arlinda Zekaj. She was killed on October 25 at her home in the village of Vitomirica, near the western city of Peja. Public anger was fuelled by the fact that she had repeatedly turned to police for protection and was not taken seriously. It was the eighth femicide recorded in Kosovo in 2026.
What happened
On October 25, Zekaj again reported her husband to police, and he was arrested. She also asked for additional protection from his family, but officers simply drove her home. She stepped out of the patrol car at 8:58 p.m., and police received an emergency call soon afterwards. When they arrived at 9:10 p.m., they found only her body: she had been killed with an axe in her bedroom. The suspected perpetrator, her brother-in-law Albert Sylaj, had fled. Police arrested him near Peja on October 27, and he is now under investigation for murder.
Earlier, after she reported her husband's threats in the summer, a court in Peja had issued a protection order, granted her temporary custody of their son and allowed her to remain in the family home. On October 22 she reported that her husband's relatives, including Sylaj, were in the house against her wishes and that he had threatened to kill her. Sylaj was questioned only as a witness in the case against her husband.
Protests and demands
On October 26, feminists poured red paint on the steps of the government building in Pristina. Thousands of people took to the streets across Kosovo on November 1 as well. Protesters want charges brought against the police officers and prosecutors involved, and are calling for Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla and Justice Minister Donika Gervalla to resign. Both have refused. Prime Minister Albin Kurti acknowledged that some state institutions had "failed."
Several senior police officers from the Peja area and a prosecutor who handled Zekaj's complaints have been suspended. Since 2010, 55 women in Kosovo have been killed by partners or family members.
