The assassination of Arlinda Zekiaj on October 25th 2026 in Vitomirica of Peja has highlighted a series of institutional shortcomings and inactions, despite the victim’s continuing warnings of the danger.
The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs’s joint report reveals delays and concessions in handling the case by institutions responsible for the safety and protection of domestic violence victims.
Arlinda Zekiaj was killed on October 25th, minutes after being accompanied to her home by Kosovo Police officials.
According to findings reported by the document, the victim had experienced more than 12 years of physical and psychological violence from her husband, whom she had married in 2010.
She had returned to Kosovo during 2024 with her son while her husband was mainly in the United States.
Police were notified of the gun, but it doesn’t turn out to be seized.
One of the most disturbing findings of the report relates to the fact that police authorities had been informed that the victim’s husband possessed weapons with permission.
However, according to the reviewed documentation, it does not result that Kosovo police have taken action to sequencing the weapon.
The report also describes a December 2025 incident when the husband allegedly threatened and offended Arlinda, demanding that she leave home.
According to the victim’s statements, he had later returned to the apartment and set fire to her personal items.
The event was documented through a video Arlinda had handed to the police as proof.
He wanted protection, reported up to twice a day
The Constitutional Court in Pec had issued a defense order through which the husband was obliged to allow the victim to return and exploit the common house.
The court ruling had also determined the distance he had to keep from the victim, two meters indoors and 20 metres outside respectively.
Despite the judicial order, however, Arlinda had continued reporting to the police that she could not enter her home.
According to the report, she had filed constant complaints, in certain cases twice a day, seeking risk reassessment and additional measures for her safety.
The report also deals with procedures related to child care, for which the court had decided to trust the mother.
Murder and Actions After the Event
On October 25th 2026, Arlinda Zekaj was killed in Vitomirica, Peja, while her brother-in-law, Albert Sylaj, allegedly arrested two days after the event.
A day after the assassination on October 26th, the court had accepted the prosecution’s request for an autopsy.
According to the report, the Institute for Legal Medicine had undertaken relevant procedures, while the autopsy’s final report was submitted to the case prosecutor.
The report’s findings raise serious questions about the way responsible institutions had addressed the victim’s indictments, warnings and requests for protection.
However, the identity of institutional concessions does not in itself constitute the final conclusion of the criminal responsibility of officials involved.
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/Gazeta Sinjali/
Source Layer: Signal