The murder of 49-year-old Arlinda Zekaj, on October 25th in Vitomirica of Peja, has sparked numerous public reactions and has questioned the responsibility of security and justice institutions for failing to protect it despite earlier warnings.
After the heavy case, several measures have been taken against officials who had been involved in tackling the victim’s indictments and requests for protection. A total of 19 police officials and two prosecutors have been suspended.
Among them is the chief prosecutor of the Constitutional Prosecutorship in Pec, Joy Vucetaj. Meanwhile, Kosovo Police General Director Gazmend Hoxha resigned from office, which was accepted by Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Instead, Péhmi Hoti was appointed taskmaster.
However, despite the undertaken measures and the citizens’ continued demands for political responsibility, Justice Minister Donika Grovalla, and Interior Affairs Minister Jedal Svecla continue to hold their posts.
At the joint media conference on October 30th, the two ministers refused to resign. Svechla said he did not believe his or Gervala’s departure from office would contribute to empowering women and protecting their rights.
Gervalla also said she would resign if she assessed that such an act would help to identify those responsible more quickly. She stressed that the priority should be to complete the case and determine institutional responsibilities.
Meanwhile, protests following the assassination of Arlinda Zekiaj have continued, with citizens and activists seeking accountability not only from police and prosecutors, but also from political leaders of the respective institutions.
The demand for Gervala and Sveca’s resignation remains one of the main calls of protesters, while investigations are expected to determine the responsibility of each official involved in handling the case.
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Source Layer: Signal
