Dozens of women killed by family members in Kosovo since 2010/ Arlinda Zekaj's murder brings the country to its feet, national protest in Pristina on Wednesday

The murder of Arlinda Zekaj has sparked strong reactions in Kosovo, with women's rights organizations calling for a national protest to demand justice and institutional accountability. The incident comes in a tragic year for women in Kosovo, where, according to data published by Radio Free Europe, eight women were killed within the family in 2026 alone.

In total, from 2010 to October 26, 2026, 67 women were recorded in Kosovo killed by family members. This year's figure is the highest recorded during the reporting period, bringing back concerns about violence against women and the effectiveness of institutional measures to protect them.

Following the murder of Arlinda Zekaj, who was reportedly hacked to death with an axe by her brother-in-law, the "Feminist Thought and Action Collective" has called for national mobilization.

The protest is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, at 4:00 PM, at Zahir Pajaziti Square in Pristina. From there, participants are expected to march towards the Ministry of Justice, the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, the Kosovo Judicial Council, the Kosovo Police, and the Government.

Through a public reaction, the Collective has accused institutions of negligence in handling cases of violence against women, claiming that Arlinda Zekaj had also sought help before she was killed.

"The axe murder of a woman by her brother-in-law last night is the alarm for the war that has been declared on women. Like other cases of femicide, this murder was warned by the deceased, who had begged for help from a state that has become an accomplice in the murder of women for years," the organization's response states.

The collective has described Zekaj's murder as further evidence of institutional failure to guarantee women's safety, demanding that those responsible be held accountable.

"Arlinda Zekaj was murdered with the mediation of the state, which does not trust women, despises them, neglects them and continues to see them primarily as the property of men," the organization emphasizes in its statement.

According to data published by Radio Free Europe, during 2018 and 2020, seven women were recorded murdered within the family, while in 2010, six cases were recorded. In 2025, one case was recorded, but during the first ten months of 2026, the number reached eight victims.

Po ndodh...

12:44 POLITIKË

“Regjimi i Ramës ka marrë fund”/ Berisha mesazh policëve: U shndërruat si mercenar për 2500 euro, do mbani përgjegjës

12:06 POLITIKË

Veliaj 'stabs' Rama from his cell: Student protests are not 'the end of the world', but the end of 'a world'

11:54 POLITIKË

Erjoni u qëllua me plumb gome në sy, Balla: Të ndodhesh në protesta të tilla është e rrezikshme

11:51 POLITIKË

Students demand Edi Rama's resignation, Balla challenges them: Forget about resignation!

11:48 POLITIKË

Rama furtunë gjobash të stisura kundër protestave, Balla: Ligji për tubimet do të hyjë menjëherë në fuqi

11:32 AKTUALITET

Police discover fireworks warehouse where protesters were buying, 32-year-old arrested

11:28 AKTUALITET

Student protests! Court releases three protesters, one was illegally arrested

11:25 POLITIKË

CNN: Protests against corrupt political caste led to Vucic's downfall

11:23 POLITIKË

Ndryshime të mundshme në ligjin shqiptar për tubimet, zbardhen detajet nga mbledhja e Ramës me socialistët

11:14 POLITIKË

Maliqi akuza SPAK-ut: Pse nuk hetohen dhuna ndaj protestuesve dhe krimet zgjedhore?

11:04 POLITIKË

"Partizani" case/ Trial postponed for Berisha and other defendants due to lawyers' boycott

Nga Bato Kosova 11:01 EDITORIAL

How Berisha is burying the DP to save himself and Rama: The orderer of violence in an attempt to steal the protest!

Nga Bato Kosova

10:47 AKTUALITET

Transportonte 11 emigrantë kundrejt 2500 eurove për person, arrestohet 30-vjeçari në Konispol

10:35 KOSOVA

Tragic event in Peja! Man kills sister-in-law with hard objects, flees after the crime

Dua të lexoj më shumë lajme