PRISTINA, Oct 26 /ATA/ Kosovo President Justina Shiroka-Pula called for an urgent, thorough and impartial investigation into Arlinda Zekaj’s killing in Vitomirica, Peja, including a review of how institutions handled her requests for protection.
“I call on the competent authorities to prioritise the investigation not only into the circumstances of the killing and the criminal responsibility of the suspects, but also into how the victim’s requests were handled and the actions of each institution with a legal duty to protect her,” Shiroka-Pula wrote.
She stressed that it must be established whether all necessary measures had been taken to assess the risk and protect the victim.
According to her, every red flag, request for help and complaint about institutional inaction must be treated with the utmost seriousness.
“No woman should be left unprotected after seeking help from state institutions. The safety and dignity of every woman must be treated as a fundamental institutional responsibility, and any suspicion of a failure to fulfil that responsibility must receive a clear response,” the president stressed.
She called on the justice institutions to act urgently, professionally and impartially. She also extended her condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones.
“Protecting women’s lives is a non-negotiable obligation, and there can be no compromise when they are put at risk,” Shiroka-Pula concluded.
Arlinda Zekaj was killed with a suspected axe attack at her home in Vitomirica, Peja, on Sunday evening. Her brother-in-law, the main suspect, remains at large. Three days before her death, she had filed a complaint with the Chief Prosecutor in Peja, alleging that responsible institutional officials had failed to fulfil their duties and calling for urgent action.
In the letter, stamped as received on 22 October, she had warned of the danger she was facing and expressed concern that the institutions might only respond after a human life had been lost.
/KosovaPress/sm/
