On Thursday, the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council suspended Lumturije Vucetaj and Arlinda Nallbani Gacaferri, the chief prosecutor and deputy chief prosecutor of Peja/Pec. Nallbani Gacaferri served as the coordinator for domestic violence cases in addition to serving as deputy.

The suspensions come after a local woman was murdered on Sunday evening just minutes after being escorted home from the police station, where she had been to report her husband for domestic violence.

Dardan Vuniqi, a member of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, told BIRN after the conclusion of the council meeting that “both have been suspended”.

Kosovo Police suspended 11 members of the police from the Peja/Pec region upon request of the Police Inspectorate. The suspended include the regional director, a police station commander and the head of investigations.

Albert Sylaj, Zekaj’s brother-in-law, is suspected of murdering Zekaj with an axe in the presence of Zekaj’s son and Sylaj’s children and mother. The suspect fled the scene of the crime and was arrested two days later. On Wednesday, he was remanded in custody for 30 days by the Basic Court of Peja/Pec.

Zekaj’s ex-husband, Jeton Sylaj, who was detained after she reported him for domestic violence on Sunday, was remanded in custody for 30 days on Tuesday for violating a court order.

BIRN found that although Zekaj had warned the police three days before her murder that Albert Sylaj had threatened to kill her, he was interviewed only as a witness.

On October 22, 2026, Arlinda Zekaj stated to police that Albert Sylaj had said to her: “Go away or I’ll kill you.” Three days later, he allegedly carried out his threat. The now suspended prosecutor Nallbani Gacaferri was informed of the case.

On the same day, Zekaj sent a letter to the now suspended chief prosecutor Vucetaj, asking for an investigation against officials who were neglecting her case, warning that she feared for her life.

Hundreds of protesters rallied on Wednesday in Kosovo’s capital Pristina to demand institutional accountability, resignations and urgent measures against femicide and gender-based violence.

“The state’s hands are bloody, women’s murders are forewarned, how many more Arlindas,” protesters chanted as they marched from Pristina’s main square to the Ministry of Justice and then on a circuit of a number of other government buildings.

At Wednesday’s protest, activists, civil society groups and members of the public demanded the resignation of Justice Minister Donika Gervalla, Internal Affairs Minister Xhelal Svecla and Peja/Pec Mayor Gazmend Muhaxheri.

They also demanded the dismissal and prosecution of various justice system employees in Peja/Pec – chief prosecutor Lumturije Vucetaj; prosecutor Suada Rama Hamza; president of the basic court Shemsedin Haxhiaj; acting director of the welfare centre Shpresa Lukaj; and judge Migjen Kastrati, who had ruled that Zekaj and her ex-husband Jeton Sylaj could continue living in the same household if they maintained a distance of two metres from each other.

The protesters further demanded the provision of social housing for survivors of gender-based violence, the vetting of the justice system, the legalisation of self-defence for women, and for femicide be treated as a national emergency.

Activists have announced that the protest will continue on Thursday.