Organised by Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), on Friday Aug. 4, starting from 10:00, around 50 activists, civil society organization representatives and citizens organized to peacefully protest in front of Justice Palace, to demand maximum sentence for Nebih Berisha, killer of Zejnepe Berisha domestic violence act victim.
       Since the justice institutions were not responding appropriately, after numerous reactions, including the April 14 protest (#drejtësipërzejnepen), KWN engaged lawyer Fehmira Gashi Bytyqi to represent Zejnepes family. As a result, following appeal by Zejnepes family representative, the Appeals Court in Pristina has decided to hold a hearing on August 4 at 10:00.
After Zejnepe was killed, with the decision of the Basic Court of Prizren on Apr. 12, the killer of the victim of domestic violence was sentenced to only 12 years in prison. The Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo, in Article 179 on Serious Murder states that "A punishment of not less than ten (10) years of imprisonment or life imprisonment shall be punishable by a person who: … 1.3. Deprives family member of life ". Taking into account the circumstances of the murder, the weight of the offense and systematic violence the victim had experienced, KWN had considered this decision as not propitious to the offense, therefore deciding to engage above-mentioned lawyer.
       Taking into account all the circumstances, the Court of Appeals approved the appeal of the prosecution and the representative of the injured party, amending the decision on the punishment. This court, the assassin of Zejnepe Berisha, sentenced to 17 years in prison for "Serious Murder" under Article 179 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo and "Light Body Injury" by Article 188 of the same code.
       KWN believes that with fair decisions, justice can influence the reduction of violence, respectively crime, considering that domestic violence is a crime!