Thousands in Kosovo demand state action after 8 women die this year in domestic violence

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Angry protesters in Kosovo on Wednesday demanded state action over widespread violence against women in the staunchly patriarchal Balkan country, splashing red paint on government buildings in a message to the authorities that they have blood on their hands for failing to prevent it.

Thousands of people joined the rally in the capital Pristina that was called after Arlinda Zekaj, 49, was killed by her brother-in-law on Sunday near the western town of Peja. Activists say that Zekaj became the eighth victim killed as the result of domestic violence in Kosovo this year.

“Do we have to die to be taken seriously?” read one of the banners that the protesters carried during their march. Other messages written in red paint said “Men kill women, the state stays silent” or “Down with the patriarchal system.”

Protesters also held photos of the murdered women.

Kosovo has passed several laws and regulations to combat violence against women — including life sentences for murderers — but activists say that their implementation remains inconsistent and without coordination by relevant authorities, including police, social services, prosecutors and courts.

The situation is similar throughout the Balkans, a region where male dominance is part of tradition. The problem surged following the wars in the 1990s and the political, economic and social crises that have persisted since the conflicts ended.

The death of Zekaj, who held dual U.S. and Kosovo citizenship, sparked additional public outrage because she had written to the authorities before her death, asking for help and warning she could get killed.

In her letter to the chief prosecutor's office just three days before she was killed, Zekaj said officials were “shifting responsibility from one to another” thus allowing “the danger to my life to continue.”

Zekaj had repeatedly complained of violence from her husband and had moved away to live with her parents while asking for protection.

She returned to her home after her husband was detained last weekend for family violence. Police offered no escort, and her brother-in-law killed her with an ax when she got back, according to a relative. He then fled the scene and was arrested after several days on the run for murder with a sharp object. Neither has commented on the allegations.

“This case raises serious questions about a possible failure in the chain of institutions," the Kosovo Women’s Network, one of the protest organizers, said. The group added in a statement that all institutions must act in coordination when a woman seeks help.

Kosovo's Parliament convened for an urgent session on Monday in response to Zekaj's death. Lawmakers established a parliamentary investigative committee to examine possible institutional responsibility in the case.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti joined the criticism, blaming a “systemic chain of failures by the institutions responsible for security and justice.”

“A murder preceded by such warnings that went unanswered could hardly have ended any other way," Kurti told a government session on Wednesday. “And that makes the situation even more unforgivable.”

According to the Justice Ministry, police received 2,815 reports of domestic violence in 2025 in Kosovo, a country of around 2 million people. Three men have been sentenced to life in prison for killing their partners since the punishment was introduced in 2012.