Other Reactions to Amnesty in 27 April Organisers Case

Regarding the amnesty of ex-Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski, former ministers Spiro Ristevski and Mile Janakieski, and the ex-head of the Security and Counterintelligence Administration, Vladimir Atanasovski, in the trial over the 27 April Organisers case, SDSM said on Friday that considering the Criminal Court’s “scandalous” decision, it was obvious PM Hristijan Mickoski’s “threats” against the Judiciary and Prosecutor’s Office, as well as his “combination with DUI”, had produced results.

The party believes that the storming was an organised attack that aimed to stop a democratic change of power.

“The Court’s decision to amnesty those charged with organising this violence is a severe blow to justice, while Macedonian society is facing a dangerous precedent”, Venko Filipce’s party added.

VLEN voiced a stand on the matter, too, levelling accusations at Islam Abazi, Chief of the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for Prosecution of Organised Crime and Corruption.

“Now, when the entire public knows precisely this Office gave the positive opinion, the consent, for this amnesty, we ask Ziadin Sela whether he will continue to serve the European Front”, it pointed out, adding that the head of the Alliance for Albanians wing part of the DUI-led coalition was now together in the Front with those that gave a positive opinion over those who attempted to kill him.

On the other hand, the initiative named “Stop the Political Terror and Persecution” criticised Judge Ilija Trpkov’s comments following the Criminal Court’s decision, saying it was a “political speech” that had once again proven “political persecution” existed.

The initiative highlighted that President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, too, as a legal expert, shared its view that the goal would be achieved not through an amnesty process, but rather through a retrial and clear court verdicts.

If there is a repeated court process, according to the initiative, those convicted will, in 10 days, be first released on bail and then become fully free persons.