Thousands of people in North Macedonia demand re-trial for imprisoned officials in Northern Macedonia

Skopje protesters are once again demanding trial and release from more than former government conservatives.

Thousands of opposition people have protested in the northern Macedonian capital Skopje to demand trial and release for more than a dozen conservative governments convicted of their roles in a mass invasion of parliament in 2017.

Sunday’s protest was organized by several civilian associations and the families of those punished and supported by the main conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE.

Demonstrators, many of whom did not wear masks to protect themselves against the spread of coronavirus, sang patriotic songs and asked the country’s Supreme Court to adjourn the trial, saying it was politically correct.

They then marched peacefully from government offices to the parliament building to demand the resignation of the left-wing cabinet and early elections.

‘Defense of crime’

Government Social Democrats criticized the protest, saying the opposition party is “in favor of defending crime and criminals.”

In 2019, a criminal court sentenced 16 people, including former Interior Minister Mitko Cavkov, to between seven and 18 years in prison, in one of the largest trials since the country gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991.

Cavkov was given the harshest sentence for “endangering constitutional order and security.”

Fifteen other people were sentenced to between seven and 15 years in prison for similar crimes, and a defendant – the famous opera singer Igor Durlovski – was acquitted.

The appellate court later reduced most of the sentences somewhat.

More than 100 people, including lawmakers and journalists, were injured in April 2017 when an angry mob took over parliament and tried to block the election of a new spokesman in the midst of a political crisis.