Kosovo
Fifth protest for Arlinda Zekaj in Pristina: smoke flares at the government, renewed calls for Gërvalla and Sveçla to resign
Protesters marched from “Zahir Pajaziti” square to the government building, where they read the letter Zekaj had sent to the chief prosecutor before she was killed.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
November 1, 2026, 18:30 · Updated 19:04 · 1 min read
In brief
- The Collective for Feminist Thought and Action held its fifth consecutive protest in Pristina after the killing of Arlinda Zekaj.
- In front of the government entrance, protesters threw smoke flares and read Zekaj’s letter to the chief prosecutor.
- Also on Sunday, about 50 people held a separate protest against Albin Kurti’s government.
Protesters gathered again in Pristina on Sunday, for the fifth consecutive time, in outrage over the killing of Arlinda Zekaj in Vitomirica, near Peja, on Oct. 25. The march, called by the Collective for Feminist Thought and Action, started in “Zahir Pajaziti” square and moved toward the Kosovo government building, where protesters threw smoke flares in front of the entrance, KALLXO.com reported.
“The people’s ultimatum”
Protesters carried banners reading “The people’s ultimatum,” “The killing of women must be treated as a national emergency” and “Justice should not begin at the grave,” while chanting “Justice for murdered women, safety for living women” and “The state has blood on its hands.” They again called for the resignation of Justice Minister Donika Gërvalla and Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla.
During the march, the letter Zekaj had sent to the chief prosecutor before she was killed was read aloud, according to ATSH. Police were present along the entire route to maintain order.
Fallout in the institutions
The suspect in the killing is Zekaj’s former brother-in-law, Albert Sylaj, who was on the run for two days and is now in pretrial detention. Shortly before she was killed, Zekaj had reported a case of domestic violence at the Peja police station. The case has led to the suspension of 11 police officers and of Peja’s chief prosecutor and another prosecutor, as well as the resignation of Kosovo Police Director Gazmend Hoxha.
At a separate protest, called by citizen Durim Aliu “against the regime of Albin Kurti,” about 50 people gathered at midday, according to KALLXO.com. The organizer has announced another rally for Tuesday, Nov. 3.
