State Department Report on North Macedonia

The US State Department’s report on the human rights situation in North Macedonia states that prosecutors often break legal deadlines for completing investigations, with no consequences. By law, investigations need to be completed in 6 months, and deadlines can be extended to 12 and 18 months for more complex organized crime cases with the permission of the supervisor, but in practice, prosecutors often miss these deadlines. The report also notes that judicial misconduct, excessive pressure on judges, delayed justice, and inadequate funding of the judiciary and prosecution continue to hamper the work and efficiency of the courts and affect public confidence in the judiciary. It is also noted that the government demonstrates greater respect for the independence and impartiality of the judiciary compared to previous years.