Fifteen years after Diana Kastrati’s murder, proceedings against the accused, Adnan Jashari, have begun at the Basic Court in Prishtina. The family’s lawyer, Miranda Haxhiu, and the 27-year-old’s father, Gëzim Kastrati, want the murder to be fully investigated and justice to be served.
After the hearing, Haxhiu told the media that the trial had begun late, but the family expects justice from the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo. She said she had offered the family professional support and would follow every step of the proceedings. She said the murder had caused pain not only to Diana’s relatives but also to the families of other victims facing cases of violence, which, she said, are increasing in Kosovo. Because the trial is being held in the defendant’s absence, the lawyer called on the institutions to ensure his presence.
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Gëzim Kastrati said the family hopes the case will reach the resolution it deserves. He described the 15-year wait as a period of suffering for the family, their friends, people at their workplaces and everyone affected by the case. He also mentioned the media and the institutions from which justice is expected.
Speaking about the killings of women in Kosovo, Kastrati expressed solidarity with Arlinda Zeka’s family. He said he did not want to compare victims or focus attention only on the eight cases this year, while referring to figures of “73 or 67” for the period since 2010. He said other cases must also be addressed and that the responsibility of officials whose negligence, he said, contributed to these events must not be overlooked.
Diana’s father said the family was notified of the trial a month ago. He said he had sought to speak about the matter six months before his daughter’s murder and had raised his voice again after the killing in 2011. He said that, at the time, when the Palace of Justice did not exist and other institutions were operating, no one agreed to meet him to discuss the matter and seek a solution. He stressed that the family would not stop seeking accountability and expressed hope that the case would be resolved.
Jashari is accused of murdering his ex-wife, Diana Kastrati. She was killed in Prishtina on May 18, 2011, at the age of 27, while on her way to university.
The Basic Prosecution Office in Prishtina filed an indictment against Jashari for aggravated murder on October 22, 2026. The accused is a fugitive and is being tried in absentia.
