Political reactions to Sentences in 27 April case

Commenting on the sentences announced by the Criminal Court in the 27 April case, VMRO-DPMNE said on Friday the Court and government had “buried the legal state”. Describing the sentences as draconic, the party added that they were a result of the political pressure being exerted by the government in the pre-election period. In response, SDSM stated that VMRO-DPMNE and its leader, Hristijan Mickoski were justifying violence. “27 April is one of the most tragic dates since the independence,” the ruling party stressed. The Alliance for Albanians, too, reacted, saying Macedonia was far from being a democracy. “The decision to give a seven-year sentence to Abdulfeta Alimi, who is known as the only man who saved the life of our leader, Ziadin Sela, on 27 April, represents to us a tendency to amortise the other sentences of the organised group,” the party said. VMRO-DPMNE’s presidential candidate, Gordana SIljanovska Davkova criticised the process, saying it had left dark stains on the judiciary. She, too, considers the sentences to be draconic. The following day, she added that she hoped the higher court instances and Court in Strasbourg would really be guided by the law and justice.

In response, the SDSM-led coalition’s presidential candidate, Stevo Pendarovski, stated that her comments meant that she openly stood in defence of the violent persons. Dignity leader Stojance Angelov is of the opinion that though the sentences are strict, they are just.