Today again, the main events on the political scene in Republic of Macedonia are related to the law on amnesty.

Competencies

Following the requests for amnesty submitted by 67 defendants, of which 33 for violence in the Parliament on April 27 last year, next comes the implementation of the Law on amnesty by the Court and Prosecution, adopted by the MPs last week.

Today the President of the Basic Court, Ivan Dzolev, is to decide whether the requests will be processed by the Criminal Court or the court council headed by judge Dobrila Kacarska.

Kacarska, who is leading the case since August, is decisive that the decisions should be brought by the Criminal Council.

“These decisions should be brought outside of the main hearing, and the Criminal Council is solely competent for this, in accordance with Article 25 of the Law on criminal procedure. The second thing that is very important is that if I, as a trial judge am deciding upon these requests, then it means that I am prejudging my decision for the requests that I will refuse, that is, for those defendants who will not receive a positive decision from me. What if a decision of mine is cancelled by a higher court, while I already have a standpoint for that defendant, and have to judge him? I am not the one resisting, the resistance should be sought on another side”, says Kacarska.

At the briefing Dzolev, as an argument on his part, mentioned the case with the Mavrovo workers, which is one of the Hague cases for which an authentic interpretation of the Law on amnesty was made. Dzolev says the court council headed by Judge Goran Boshevski has acted in this case, but interprets Kacarska and the history of this case differently.

Lawyer Elenko Milanov has also submitted a request for amnesty, who is in the capacity of defence in several of the cases of the April 27 events, and who several days ago withdrew from the defence of Nikola Gruevski in the “TNT” case, although he has not been accused until now.

Parliament

Today on the agenda of the parliamentary session is the new law against corruption, in shortened procedure. The draft law passed the first reading at the parliamentary session on Monday.

According to the ruling majority in Parliament, amendments are being prepared for the Criminal Code for Article 353, according to which several accusations of the SPO have been formed, report several media.

The changes anticipate a change in the article, according to which accountability is foreseen of all officials who with the abuse of power have gained “some benefit”. From the government they claim that the amendment is harmonized with the SPO and that it will not influence the SPO cases.

Zaev does not accept blame for Gruevski’s escape

In interview for TV 24, the Prime Minister of Republic of Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, stated that he does not accept political guilt, because there is information on the action of the MOI, which had been according to their authorizations, and that he cannot comment many issues related to the case due to the ongoing investigation, but expressed doubts that it was “assisted from outside”. He also pointed to the meetings of the President of VMRO-DPMNE, Hristijan Mickovski, with Serbian President Vucic and Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, while at the same time expressing suspicion about the possible involvement of Mickovski. Zaev said that there is still no response to the request for extradition.

Human rights

CIVIL – Center for Freedom declared the month of December as a month of human rights. We remind every day about the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Freedoms

On December 26, CIVIL reminds of Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which stipulates:

1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

D. Tahiri