Institutional fallout in Peja
Gazmend Hoxha resigned as director of the Kosovo Police on October 30 amid mounting public pressure and criticism. Prime Minister Albin Kurti accepted the resignation after Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla proposed the appointment of Fehmi Hoti as acting director general. This decision follows the October 29 suspension of 11 officers, including the acting regional police director in Peja, heads of investigations, police station commanders, and investigators. The Peja Prosecution Office also suspended chief prosecutor Lumturije Vucetaj and the prosecutor handling the case, Arlinda Nallbani Gacaferri, as scrutiny grows over how institutions handled the murder case. This resignation comes amid widespread outrage across Kosovo. Hoxha stated he resigned with a "sense of institutional and moral responsibility" following the "macabre murder" of Arlinda Zekaj, and he sought to put the "interest of the state and the dignity of the institution" above personal interest.
Violence in Vitomirica and street protests
Arlinda Zekaj died on October 25 in the village of Vitomirica, near Peja, allegedly at the hands of her former brother-in-law, Albert Sylaj. Sylaj was arrested and remains in custody. Zekaj reportedly warned authorities that her life was in danger just three days before the killing occurred. On October 30, demonstrators in Peja, including members of Zekaj’s family, marched from the municipality building to the Centre for Social Work, the police station, and the court before they ended their demonstration outside the Prosecution Office. Protesters threw smoke bombs and eggs outside the prosecutor’s building while chanting, "How many more women must be killed?" One protest organizer accused all relevant institutions of failing to protect Zekaj’s life, noting that demonstrators had visited each institution to demand justice for the victim. The case has sparked widespread outrage across Kosovo and intensified demands for a thorough investigation into whether police, prosecutors, and social services failed to act on warnings that could have prevented her death. I find the failure of the police, the prosecutors, and the social services to protect Zekaj after she provided specific warnings about her safety just three days before her death to be absolutely inexcusable.
