The Human Rights Network strongly condemns the smear campaign and the threats against Anita Nikaj and other feminist activists protesting femicide. Attempts to discredit their activism and portray demands for justice as politically motivated undermine women’s right to protest and put their safety at risk.

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo and the Network of Women Journalists of Kosovo, together with Anita Nikaj have reported the threats to the Kosovo Police. These threats must be treated with the utmost seriousness. Threats of sexual violence and murder, whether made online or offline, are forms of intimidation that endanger women’s safety and seek to silence their participation in public life.

We call on the prosecution to proactively initiate criminal investigations ex officio into online threats against civil society activists, and on the Kosovo Police to promptly identify those responsible, preserve evidence, ensure accountability and take appropriate measures to protect those targeted. We urge public officials and political representatives to unequivocally condemn these attacks. We call on the media, public figures, and social media users to refrain from sharing degrading content, to reject sexist attacks, and to take responsibility for the language they use.

We stand in full solidarity with the women activists being targeted and with all women who face violence because they refuse to remain silent. Their demand for a safe and dignified life concerns us all.

Human Rights Network organization:

Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo (YIHR KS)

Center for Equality and Liberty (CEL Kosova)

Kosovo Law Institute (KLI)

Kosovo Center for Gender Studies (KCGS)

Voice of Roma, Ashkali and Eguptians (VoRAE)

New Social Initiative (NSI)

Association of Paraplegics and Children with Paralysis in Kosovo – HANDIKOS