NEWS OF THE DAY: Four people arrested in connection to the “Public room” case, possible complete blocking of “Telegram” application
Four people, two from Bitola, one from Veles and one from Stip, have been arrested today in connection to the “Public room” case, informs Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski through a post on his Facebook profile.
“We are working on finding who created this group and all those who were members. Everyone who is in the group will be investigated and will bear criminal responsibility”.
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev announced on his Facebook profile that they have sent two categorical requests to the “Telegram” social network to delete the “Public room” group and that they will not stop insisting on this until it is deleted.
“If the “Telegram” application does not close the “Public room” channel, where pornographic and private content of our citizens is being shared, as well as child pornography, we will also review the option of blocking or restricting the use of this application in North Macedonia, until they start cooperating with us, with the sole purpose to close the problematic group and to help us find the identity of those who are sharing photos and committing crime. We as a government wouldn’t think of censoring communication, but this is different and we have to protect our citizens. Today this occurs on telegram, and tomorrow maybe on some other platform, that is why we have a task and obligation to do everything possible to provide an appropriate reaction also from those who have created these platforms, where such crime takes place”, writes Zaev.
STATEMENT OF THE DAY: Maricic: The “Public room” case will be a catalyst for quicker changes to the laws and raising public awareness
The “Public room” case will be a catalyst for the necessary legislative changes to take place faster, and for public awareness on this problem to rise to a higher level, wrote Minister of Justice Bojan Maricic on his Facebook profile.
“We are all deeply disturbed by the “Public room” case, which has shaken our entire society. Above all, as a person, I am expressing my support to the victims who have went through and are still going through a difficult time. I encourage them to be loud and I point out that they can count on us, and that together we will fight against such evil”, says Maricic.
“The Ministry of Justice has prepared the amendments to the Criminal Code that provide for significantly greater protection for victims, like those from “Public room”. The changes are in accordance to the Istanbul Convention and cover a wide range of cases when victims of sexual, psychological and physical violence are women. No one should keep silent for such violence! Let’s not be afraid, let’s be loud and together fight against the bullies”, wrote Minister Maricic on Facebook.
FLASH NEWS
The government of the Republic of North Macedonia, at last night’s 42nd regular session, reviewed and adopted the Information for procurement of SARS-Cov-2 inactivated vaccine against COVID-19.
Former President Gjorgje Ivanov is to appear as a witness in one of the following hearings for “Organizers of April 27”, although the lawyers of the defence announced withdrawal of some of their witnesses. The next hearings are schedules for next week, reports Radio Free Europe.
“This mutation of the virus could not have been avoided and will probably happen in all countries around the world. It has a faster transmission of 70 percent, but there is no need for panic, we remain to be careful. Since the mutation has been detected in one place, it is probably present in other places. The mutation does not necessarily always have to be imported from other countries.”, said Minister of Health Venko Filipce in relation to the detected British variant of the virus in our country.
The Ministry of Health informs that yesterday it sent a letter to the European Commission for reservation of the most sophisticated monoclonal combined therapy of antibodies for the treatment of patients with Covid-19, with a “cocktail” of „casirivimab” and „imdevimab”.
Two infamous records have been broken by Macedonia on Transparency International’s (TI). Corruption Perception Index 2020. Together with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia ranks in 111th place out of a total of 180 ranked countries on this index. At the same time, in the Index for 2020, Macedonia notes the lowest result and lowest ranking since 2001, when we were for the first time ranked by the Corruption Perception Index, informs Transparency International – Macedonia.
Skopje Prosecutor’s Office today filed an indictment to the Skopje Criminal Court for the “Mavrovka” case, in which the investor unlawfully built a solid construction that was later demolished by the competent authorities.
translation: N. Cvetkovska
