Kosovo woman slain hours after seeking police help for domestic abuse

Arlinda Zekaj reported domestic violence to the Peja Basic Prosecution on October 22, demanding urgent action to safeguard her life. Three days later, after police interviewed her and placed her ex-husband in a 48-hour detention, she went back to her village of Vitomirica and was discovered dead, killed with an axe, around 9:10 p.m. Her attorney, Adelina Shala, rejected the police narrative and blamed the state for her death.

The Peja prosecutor, Lumturije Vucetaj, has been instructed to examine the handling of Zekaj’s letter for possible abuse of authority. Kosovo’s chief state prosecutor and President Justina Shiroka Pula have both demanded a thorough, impartial inquiry. Activist groups, including the Collective for Feminist Thought and Action and the Kosovo Women’s Network, are calling for a protest to demand stronger protection for women.