“guilty state” Requesting dismissals regarding Sebahate Morina's murder

The entrance of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council was blocked on Wednesday (April 5th by a full-page charter of a Constitutional Court decision, with which it was concluded that the state “violated the right to life” Sebahate Morina.

The guilty state of Sebahate Morina” was written in red in the stands.

The event was held by non-governmental organisations “QICA”, Injekt and the Kosovo Women's Network, which called for the dismissal of persons responsible in state institutions.

On 22 March, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo found that Kosovo Police in Gracanica and the Constitutional Prosecutor in Pristina failed in their duties for protecting Morina's life, which was allegedly killed by her former husband two years ago.

Protesters demanded the resignation of Pristina's chief prosecutor, Kujtim Munishi, the case prosecutor and police officials, involved in the case.

“The way institutions are handling the case, it almost didn't read the decision”, Free Europe Leonidas Molliq, executive director of the organisation “told Radio Europe. QICA”, which aims to protect and promote equal rights for Kosovo citizens.

“So, together, we decided that the printed decision, to bring it before the head prosecutor of state, so that it would be easier to read”, she added.

A few minutes after the action before the Prosecutorial Council, the State Prosecutor announced that disciplinary procedure has been initiated against the prosecutor of the case. But the announcement does not address the request for Chief Prosecutor Munich's dismissal.

Kosovo police and the Prosecutorial Council did not answer Radio Free Europe questions on the issue, but the Ombudsman confirmed earlier the launch of an investigation within the police.

After our recommendations, police have formed a commission that has found violations, and have begun competent procedures against police officials”, the Ombudsman said.

What happened to Sebahate Morina?

On March 14, 2021, a few meters from her work site in Pristina, Morina was allegedly killed by her former husband, who, a year earlier, was sentenced to domestic violence by the Constitutional Court in Gjilan.

Sebahat is among dozens of women who have had similar luck. According to institutions' data, 50 women were killed between 2010 and the end of 2022 in Kosovo. In most cases, suspects or those charged with murder have been marriage mates.

On 30 November last year, a 35-year-old pregnant woman was killed in the courtyard of the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo in Pristina. The prime suspect was her husband, who then committed suicide. The victim had police protection warrants.

Reactioning after this case, Kosovo Justice Minister Albulen Haxhiu has said he is “due to institutional irresponsence”.

Now what?

Sebahate Morina's brother, Fatmir Morina, has said earlier that the Constitutional Court's decision has highlighted “the police, courts and prosecution”. He has expressed disappointment at the lack of investigations.

And, for one of Wednesday's action organisers, Edona Selimi, from the Justice and Equality Initiative “Injekt”, it is not enough to investigate.

It's just the first step. Through the downloads, roads are opened for other cases that have occurred and nothing has been taken up yet, Selimi told Radio Free Europe.

Another protester from the same organisation, Fjolla Kostunica, said that, through this action, it is expected that other women will be known the support they have to report cases of violence and “not to hesitate in these cases”.

“Through this decision, there will be another consequence of how institutions will operate in the future”, she said.

According to Kosovo Police statistics, given Radio Free Europe, 2,278 victims were reported in 2022 alone.