The President of Kosovo, Justina Shiroka-Pula, has requested an urgent, complete and impartial investigation into the murder of Arlinda Zekaj in Vitomirica, Peja. She asked to investigate the way the institutions handled the victim’s requests for protection.
Expressing shock at the murder, the president called for the competent bodies to treat the case with priority.
“I ask the competent bodies to investigate with priority not only the circumstances of the murder and the criminal liability of the suspected persons, but also the treatment of the victim’s demands and the actions of each institution that had the legal obligation to protect him”, wrote Shiroka Pula.
Shiroka-Pula emphasized that it should be clarified whether all measures were taken for risk assessment and victim protection.
According to her, every signal of danger, request for help and complaint against institutional inaction should be treated with maximum seriousness.
“No woman should remain unprotected after seeking help from state institutions. The safety and dignity of every woman should be treated as a basic institutional responsibility, so any suspicion of failure to fulfill this responsibility should receive a clear answer”, the president emphasized.
She has called on justice institutions to act with urgency, professionalism and impartiality. He also expressed his condolences to the victim’s family and relatives.
“The protection of women’s lives is a non-negotiable obligation, so there is no compromise when it is put in danger”, concluded Shiroka-Pula. Arlinda Zekaj was killed on Sunday evening in Vitomirica, Peja. The suspect for the murder is her brother-in-law, who, according to public information, is still on the run.
According to initial information, the incident took place inside the house and it is suspected that the victim was killed with an axe.
Just three days before the murder, on October 22, Zekaj had submitted a submission addressed to the chief prosecutor of the Basic Prosecution in Peja, through which he had requested the taking of urgent measures against the officials of the responsible institutions, claiming that they had not fulfilled their official duties.
In the letter, which bears the seal of acceptance dated October 22, she had warned of the danger she faced and expressed concern that institutions could only react after a human life was taken.
