CIVIL strongly condemns police violations

The police should know that the time of rampage has come to an end. It is time for the police to protect citizens, not the interests of deal-oriented strongmen!

CIVIL – Center for Freedom  strongly condemns the evident overstepping of authority of several police officers, who unlawfully detained activists of the Levica party and a citizen journalist and collaborator of CIVIL on July 29, 2017. The overstepping of authority is evident from the video footage made by CIVIL’s collaborator, as well as from the statements made by eyewitnesses.

The activists did nothing to threaten anyone’s security, nor were they a threat to anyone’s life, health or property, whereas the journalist just used his constitutional and legal rights and freedoms. As a response to that, the police attacked them offensively and handcuffed them, without any legal grounds. Identifying citizens is not performed with handcuffs around their hands! Journalists cannot be handcuffed for doing their job! This is completely unacceptable!

At the same time, we would like to express our pleasant surprise from the reaction of the Ministry of Interior. Minister Oliver Spasovski and Assistant Minister of Internal Control Dejan Andonov took immediate measures, as early as the weekend, to clear up the case and to take measures in accordance with the law and the standards. We welcome and support this new way of working.

CIVIL will submit a request to the MOI in which it will demand responsibility from the police officers and their supervisors.

By strengthening the standards and the strict adherence to the legal authorizations of the police, the trust in this institution will grow, and thus the safety and security throughout the entire country.

We urge citizens to report abuse and overstepping of authority by the police and also by all those who hold public functions, public administration officials, and anywhere else they might note violation of human rights and freedoms.