Kosovo
Albert Sylaj held for a month over Arlinda Zekaj’s killing; files show she reported his threat on Oct. 22
The Peja court granted the prosecution’s request for the suspect in an aggravated murder case. According to documents obtained by KALLXO.com, Zekaj told police three days before the killing that her former brother-in-law had threatened her life, but he was questioned only as a witness.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 28, 2026, 21:40 · Updated 18:43 · 2 min read
In brief
- Albert Sylaj, arrested on the night of Oct. 27 in Deçan, will stay in pretrial detention until Nov. 27.
- According to prosecutors, he killed his former sister-in-law with an ax in front of children, in revenge for his brother’s detention.
- The Kosovo Judicial Council says Zekaj had a protection order, but the indictment against her ex-husband reached the court after the killing.
The Basic Court in Peja on Wednesday ordered one month of pretrial detention for Albert Sylaj, the suspect in the killing of his former sister-in-law, Arlinda Zekaj, on Oct. 25 in Vitomiricë. Pretrial judge Sami Sharaxhiu granted the Peja prosecution’s request on grounds of reasonable suspicion of aggravated murder. The measure runs from Oct. 27 at 11:40 p.m., when Sylaj was arrested in Deçan after two days on the run, until Nov. 27. The defense had sought release on bail.
What prosecutors say
According to the prosecution’s request, obtained by KALLXO.com, the suspect acted in revenge after Zekaj reported her former husband, Jeton Sylaj, for domestic violence. When she returned from the police station and went into her bedroom, he took an ax and struck her several times, mostly on the head, as she tried to hide behind the door. The killing took place in front of the victim’s young son, the suspect’s children and his mother. Prosecutors cite the risk of flight and of reoffending, adding that Sylaj has four final convictions.
The Oct. 22 threat
Police documents published by KALLXO.com show that on Oct. 22 Zekaj told the Peja police station that Albert Sylaj had said to her, “Get away, get away or I’ll kill you.” He was questioned only as a witness, while the on-duty prosecutor ordered that the case remain an official note pending security camera footage.
The Kosovo Judicial Council said Zekaj had held an emergency protection order since Sept. 7, but only against her former husband; Albert Sylaj did not appear in any of the case files. The prosecution’s indictment against Jeton Sylaj was received by the court on Oct. 26, a day after the killing.
