STOP POLITICALLY MOTIVATED TRIALS

Civil - Center for Freedom and the Foundation Open Society Macedonia strongly condemn the ways of conducting court procedures, spectacular arrests and the frequent use of detention throughout numerous legal cases in recent years.

We condemn the court that held journalist Tomislav Kezharovski in detention in harsh prison conditions for six months, sentenced him to 4.5 years in prison and still deprives him from the right to defend himself properly.

We do not consider the detention which the court replaced with an in-house custody yesterday (November 7th 2013) as an act of good will, but an attempt to manipulate the domestic and international public.

On the same day that Kezharovski was sent to an in-house custody, journalist Zoran Bozhinovski was arrested, whilst several other persons who are already detained or serve prison sentences; there are well-founded concerns in the domestic and international public that these are politically motivated trials.

We demand:

The court has to grant full freedom to the journalist Kezarovski and rule compensation for the trauma he experienced during the arrest and detention.

The court has to stop prosecution against the journalist Zoran Bozinovski.

The court has to terminate detention of all persons charged in “The Spy” and other trials in which the measure of detention is not necessary, and about which prominent law experts have publicly expressed their disapproval.

The Parliament has to form an ad-hoc committee to investigate all trials in which political motives are apparent and take immediate steps towards correction of behavior of the judicial authorities.

The government and the Justice Minister have to take immediate measures towards de-politicization of judiciary.