Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has given the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice another 54 hours to submit a report on the killing of Arlinda Zekaj, warning that measures will be taken in accordance with the law and applicable regulations.
Kurti said the report must establish whether failures occurred at any stage of the institutional chain and examine similar cases in which women who experience violence remain at risk from people who threaten them.
The deadline follows a parliamentary resolution adopted with 67 votes on Monday evening, after which Kurti initially gave the two ministries 72 hours to prepare their findings.
“From this moment, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice have 54 hours,” Kurti said, adding that the government would take action in line with the law and regulations.
He described Zekaj as a “martyr in the battle for justice in the Republic of Kosovo,” stressing that the case must be fully clarified and that institutional accountability is essential.
“We will do everything we can. We know that speed is crucial now,” he said.
Kurti called for investigations into the conduct of investigators, indictments where there are grounds to prosecute prosecutors, and judicial proceedings to ensure that cases are properly handled throughout the justice system.
Kurti calls justice reform urgent
The prime minister said reform of Kosovo’s justice system was no longer merely important but had become an urgent necessity.
He pointed to repeated criticism from the European Union over the functioning of the justice system in its annual country reports, arguing that shortcomings had persisted for more than a decade.
Kurti also referred to the forthcoming EU report, saying that the previous assessment had recorded some progress in 35 of 38 areas, while three areas had shown no progress.
However, he emphasized that justice remained one of the areas in which Kosovo had faced the most persistent criticism from the EU.
“Justice is not straight. To put it bluntly, our justice system is crooked. We need to put justice back on the right track,” Kurti said.
He argued that accountability must extend across the entire chain of justice, including investigators, prosecutors and courts.
“If we have considered this important until now, we must consider it urgent from this point forward,” he added.
Kurti expresses condolences to Zekaj family
At the beginning of his remarks, Kurti expressed condolences to the Zekaj family, saying Arlinda’s killing had deeply shocked not only her relatives, friends and acquaintances but society as a whole.
He said citizens shared the family’s grief and its demand for justice.
The prime minister’s announcement places the two ministries under a strict deadline to clarify the circumstances of the case and identify any potential institutional failures. The report is expected to inform decisions on further action in accordance with the law.
