Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has called for a full and immediate investigation into the murder of Arlinda Zekaj, stressing that it must be clarified why her warnings about the danger to her life were not followed up with concrete protective measures. He has demanded that, in the event of negligence being found, responsibility be dealt with according to the law, reports Ekonomia Online.
In his speech to the Kosovo Assembly, Kurti said that Arlinda had sought help from the Prosecution three days before she was killed, while stressing that investigations should also include the actions of the responsible officials. He also called for a public debate on how society and institutions treat women who seek divorce, independence and property rights.
"A fellow citizen of ours sought but did not receive the protection she needed to stay alive. Arlinda Zekaj was killed yesterday, the cruel murder is extremely shocking for all of us. Three days before she was killed, Arlinda had addressed the prosecutor's office warning of the danger to her life, these circumstances require a full and immediate investigation, while the perpetrator is on the run.
"The prosecution and responsible institutions must clarify how her complaints were handled, why the warning about the danger to life was not prevented with concrete protective measures and whether there was negligence by the responsible officials. Every violation must be clarified and every responsibility must be handled according to the laws," Kurti said.
He condemned the murder and called for the mentality that, according to him, measures a woman's value by her submission to be opposed. Kurti emphasized that no one can force a person to continue a relationship by denying them the right to leave it.
"I strongly condemn this crime, for Arlinda I demand justice and the clarification of all responsibility. From all of us I demand the willingness to oppose that mentality that still measures the value of a woman by her submission. To oppose this mentality, we must be clear about what makes a value worthy of protection, respect for human dignity...
No one can demand the continuation of a relationship by denying the other person the right to leave it. Violence imposes precisely this obligation, that the woman organizes her life according to the fear of the abuser. Control over money, work, movement and family ties can gradually limit her ability to act.
"An institution that does not understand this circumstance risks interpreting as reconciliation what could be an attempt at survival. The phenomenon of femicide is a consequence of the patriarchal mindset, which unfortunately does not exclude institutions either, where it fosters negligence and inaction in the face of violence against women," he said.
Kurti has demanded that responsibility be extended to all institutional levels, mentioning investigators, prosecutors and judges.
"This is why where we investigate, we must also investigate the investigators, where we expect from prosecutors we must also accuse them, and when we deal with judges we will also have to think about who will judge them. Eight women have been murdered this year, we need a public debate about how society and the state treat women who seek divorce, independence and their right to property and inheritance.
"In my strong belief, this is the essence. We have a difficult relationship with divorce and gender equality when it comes to inheritance and property. We need to talk about how women's legitimate demands for their rights are transformed into a source of conflict. How control over life is normalized and instead of being supported, they are often left alone with violence," Kurti said.
