After Arlinda’s murder, he had thought of ending his life” – what was said in court about Albert Sylaj

Albert Sylaj, suspected of murdering Arlinda Zekaj in Vitomiricë, Peja, will remain in pretrial detention for one month. The Basic Court in Peja made the decision after approving the prosecution’s request.

Sylaj is suspected of the criminal offense of “aggravated murder.” He was arrested on Tuesday evening in Deçan. The suspect had been on the run since the evening of October 25, when the murder is believed to have taken place.

At the hearing, the defense opposed pretrial detention, arguing that Sylaj posed no danger and that he had not fled with the intention of leaving the country.

According to information about the case, after killing Arlinda with an axe, Sylaj allegedly planned to take his own life. Following talks with the police, during which his mother acted as an intermediary, he was persuaded to turn himself in.

During the proceedings, the suspect claimed that he had committed the murder in the heat of the moment. At the end of the hearing, the judge ordered that he be held in pretrial detention for one month.

Arlinda had sought help from the institutions

Arlinda Zekaj was murdered in Vitomiricë, Peja. She had experienced problems with her husband, Jeton Sylaj, and had turned to the justice authorities for help, warning that the worst could happen to her.

The case has reignited concerns about the protection institutions provide to women who report violence and seek help from the authorities.

Meanwhile, a protest was held in Pristina over the murder of Arlinda Zekaj and other women killed in Kosovo. Participants called for justice and institutional accountability in cases of violence against women.