CIVIL: Stop torture and responsibility for the death of prisoners!

The situation in Macedonia’s prisons is more than alarming. CIVIL – Center for Freedom has been for years urging the institutions to take immediate measures for improving the conditions in prisons, for respecting human rights of detained persons and prisoners and for putting an end to torture in detention centers and prisons in Republic of Macedonia. For years, detention has been used as a harsh punitive measure. These are just some of the findings and observations of the situation in this sphere.

CIVIL demands for the institutions to respond immediately to the given questions.

The competent institutions and the staff in the prison institutions have to bear responsibility for the death of prisoners, including the newest case concerning the death of Erdal Jusinov, which is the reason for CIVIL’s latest address to the Directorate for execution of sanctions, the Ministry of Justice and other competent institutions.

VIDEO MATERIAL: “Sixth” (disturbing testimonies on the death of young Erdal)

Erdal Jusinov, a 25 year old boy, died on March 22, 2017 under mysterious curcumstances in a prison in Stip, two months after his imprisonment. Young Erdal was sentenced to one year in prison for theft.

The testimonies of those close to him and his neighbors indicate serious anomalies and flaws of the prison service and of the doctors. Alledgedly, they had not given him first aid for entire four hours, while Erdal was in pre-mortal agony.

The family of the deceased boy from Stip also tell about the crime in the prison in Stip and about the discrimination that is made on Roma prisoners.

Erdal left a wife and two small children to the mercy of the system.

The prison in Stip is called “Shesti” (Sixth). It is located six kilometers from the city.

We requested information for this tragic case from the authorities in the prison in Stip, but they directed us to the Directorate for execution of sanctions. We contacted them as well. In a telephone conversation, a representative from the Directorate requested that we send them the questions by email. There has been still no response.