The initial hearing for Jeton Sylaj, who is accused of threatening his ex-wife, Arlinda Zekaj, has been postponed until November 24 at 1:00 p.m. The postponement was requested by Besnik Berisha, the lawyer for the victim’s family, so Sylaj did not enter a plea.
Sylaj was brought to the Basic Court in Peja on Thursday under tight security, escorted by the Kosovo Police’s FIT special unit. After the hearing was postponed, he left the court under police escort without addressing the charge.
Të lidhura
None found
The indictment against him was filed on October 23, two days before Arlinda Zekaj was killed on October 25. It reached the Basic Court in Peja on October 26, a day after her death.
According to the indictment, Jeton Sylaj had threatened his ex-wife, including with death threats. Her former brother-in-law, Albert Sylaj, is suspected of killing her.
Regarding the earlier handling of the case, the president of the Basic Court in Peja, Shemsedin Haxhijaj, said he had not initiated disciplinary proceedings against Judge Migjen Kastrati, who had previously handled the victim’s case. Haxhijaj explained that no findings had been established that would justify opening such proceedings.
Asked again about possible disciplinary responsibility, Haxhijaj reiterated that, in his view, there had been no failings and that no proceedings had therefore been initiated.
Meanwhile, Kosovo’s Special Prosecution Office is reviewing the case file concerning suspicions of possible inaction and negligence by police officers, prosecutors and judges in their handling of Arlinda Zekaj’s case. The court president’s decision not to initiate disciplinary proceedings is separate from the Special Prosecution Office’s review of the file.
