Macedonian PM refuses prisoners’ demand for new general amnesty law

NEWS 10.12.201815:41
REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

Zoran Zaev, the Prime Minister of Macedonia, said on Monday he did not consider a new general amnesty at any time soon, but might pardon those who had not taken part in the violence in the parliament in April last year, the Beta news agency reported.

He confirmed he received a letter from the prisoners serving time at “Idrizova” jail asking for the general amnesty, but added the parliament had passed the amnesty law six months ago.

„The practice in the world is to change such law every four to eight years,“ Zaev said.

The prisoners started a two-day hunger strike to make Zaev suggest the general amnesty for “ April 27,” as a part of the so-called reconciliation process, adding they would extend the hunger strike until the government accepted their demand.

“We talk only about an amnesty related to the events on April 27 2017, but it won’t cover those who had taken part, organised or planned the parliament brawl. It is not about the general amnesty,” Zaev said.

The violence started when protesters stormed into Macedonia’s parliament last spring after an ethnic Albanian had been elected as speaker.

Scores of people were injured in the brawl, including Zaev, who was left with blood pouring down his face.

The protesters, supporters of ex-Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski’s VMRO party, were demanding new elections.

Gruevski and his nationalist followers also protested against the Skopje – Athens deal on a new name for the former Yugoslav republic, agreed by Zaev and his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras.

The new name – Republic of North Macedonia – opened Skopje Euro-Atlantic perspective which Greece had blocked for 20 odd years.