# Kosovo protests over femicide victim's state neglect

> Kosovo protesters accuse authorities of failing to protect femicide victim Arlinda Zekaj.
- Title: Kosovo protests over femicide victim's state neglect · Dw
- Summary: Kosovo protesters accuse authorities of failing to protect femicide victim Arlinda Zekaj. Kosovo protesters demand police and ministers resign after state…
- Keywords: kosovo, arlinda zekaj, femicide, police, interior minister, justice minister, protests, domestic violence, kosovo government
- Source: Dw — https://dw.com/en/kosovo-outrage-as-authorities-accused-of-not-helping-femicide-victim/a-79856726?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: kosovo, arlinda zekaj, femicide, police, interior minister, justice minister, protests, domestic violence, kosovo government, news, world, politics
## Protesters pour red paint
Protesters poured red paint onto steps outside Kosovo's government building after Arlinda Zekaj's murder.

> The state killed Arlinda
## Arlinda's repeated police pleas
Arlinda Zekaj repeatedly asked police for protection but they said she was exaggerating.
## Police ignored protection requests
Police ignored Zekaj's requests for protection against her husband's family after she reported him arrested.
## Arlinda murdered at home
Arlinda Zekaj was brutally murdered in her bedroom with an axe by her brother-in-law Albert Sylaj.
## Eighth femicide in 2026
This was the eighth femicide in Kosovo in 2026 and the most brutal in recent years.
## Protests across Kosovo
Thousands protested nationwide demanding police and ministers resign after state ignored femicide victim's pleas.
## Ministers refuse to resign
Interior and Justice Ministers rejected calls to step down despite protests demanding their resignation.

> They won't be able to sleep; the flames will consume them
## State institutions failed
Kosovo government acknowledged state institutions failed to protect femicide victims.

> Kurti acknowledged that certain state institutions had "failed."
## Key takeaway

Kosovo protesters demand police and ministers resign after state ignored femicide victim's pleas for protection.