# Kosovo: Protests and outrage after a woman was killed despite repeatedly seeking assistance from the authorities

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/kosovo-protests-and-outrage-after-a-woman-was-killed-despite-repeatedly-seeking-assistance-from-the-authorities/
- Published: 2026-11-04T16:17:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T07:56:21+00:00
- Original publisher: DW (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.dw.com/en/kosovo-protests-and-outrage-after-a-woman-was-killed-despite-repeatedly-seeking-assistance-from-the-authorities/a-79856726?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Arlinda Zekaj was killed after repeatedly seeking help.
- Thousands are protesting alleged institutional failures.
- Kosovo has recorded 55 such killings since 2010.

## Summary

Arlinda Zekaj, 49, was killed at her home in western Kosovo after repeatedly asking police for protection from her husband and his family. Her death has prompted protests involving thousands, with demonstrators accusing state institutions of failing to act on her warnings.

Zekaj had reported threats and obtained a protection order, but her husband remained in the family home under distance restrictions. Three days before her death, she reported that her brother-in-law, Albert Sylaj, had threatened her; he is now under investigation for murder. It was Kosovo’s eighth femicide in 2026, and 55 women have been killed by partners or family members since 2010.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.