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Human Rights Appeal: Call for an international trial concerning the recent heavy sentences in Macedonia
Logi G.
started this petition to
United Nations, European Commission, European Court of Human Rights, International Community
SQARIM (below in english)&colon
Vellezer dhe motra. Koheve te fundit e keni verejtur se nenshkrimet po humbin koh pas kohe. Natyrisht sikur ju, edhe ne na ka shqetesuar ky fakt, dhe u kemi kerkuar sqarim komunitetit te Avaaz‐it. Dhe ata thone se kjo ndodhe per arsye se kur nje person nenshkruhet, numri i nenshkruesve shtohet &plus1. Por meqense kjo faqe posedon nje mjet per identifikimin e e‐mail adresave te rrejshme, dhe nese gjen se e‐maila ka qene e rrejshme, menjehere e fshin ate nenshkrim dhe numrin e zvogelon per ‐1. Ju faleminderit per mirkuptim.
CLARIFICATION&colon
Dear brothers and sisters, we apologize for the disappearing signatures. It appears the reason is due to a mechanism in the website that flags e‐mail addresses as spam/illegitimate. When someone signs a petition, it is registered right away on the petition site counter. However, the site sends an automatic verification email to the person who has just signed, and sometimes the email bounces because it wasn’t a legitimate email address or there was a spelling mistake in the address the signer provided. If that happens, the signature will be removed immediately from the petition since they can’t confirm it’s validity. And this will cause the number on the counter to go down.
We are pleading the European Commission, United Nations, European Court of Human Rights and the international community to put pressure on the Macedonian government to begin an unbiased, fair and transparent review of the evidence and to initiate a re‐trial, under international supervision, regarding the case of the recently convicted Albanians in Skopje, Macedonia.
Recently a group of men from the Albanian minority in Macedonia mainly from the town of Kumanovo, have been issued sentences ranging from 12 to life in prison, following a gun battle in 2015, that left eight police officers and 10 guerrilla fighters dead.
More on the case&colon
https&colon//www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/11/macedonia‐violence‐nikola‐gruevski‐government
In total 33 men were arrested. Seven of the defendants were handed life sentences Thursday, November 2nd, 2017 and another 13 were sentenced to 40 years in prison. The others got prison sentences from 12 to 20 years. Four of the detainees who also were kept in detention since 2015, were released the same day. The latter were arrested during their sleep&excl
But there is more to the story...
Family members of some of the convicted have reported that their loved ones never took part in any of the actions for which they are being incriminated. Charges corresponded to planned participation in militant attacks or as the authorities called it&colon preparing attacks against civilians and "strategic targets".
One of the defense lawyers said&colon "They should have been released the same day with the other four . " "The long sentences given are absurd considering the accusations for which they were being charged; " Support " and " Logistics " for the guerrilla fighters.
The accused have been kept in detention since 2015. New reports from witnesses state that some of the surrendered detainees have been verbally and physically abused with methods that violate human rights, including torture.
We have reason to believe that sentences given were heavily biased against the Albanian minority who account for 30&percnt of the total population. This minority is often subject to unfair treatment from the Macedonian authorities. In 2001 already there were clashes with the police for more rights.
Hundreds of people have gathered in Macedonia's capital Skopje to protest the heavy prison sentences given to members of the ethnic Albanian group.
The defendants all denied the charges and their lawyers said they would appeal.
"We didn't expect fair sentences, but we also didn't expect such a draconian ruling. It was a classic show trial," Naser Raufi, one of the lawyers for the defense said.
Vellezer dhe motra. Koheve te fundit e keni verejtur se nenshkrimet po humbin koh pas kohe. Natyrisht sikur ju, edhe ne na ka shqetesuar ky fakt, dhe u kemi kerkuar sqarim komunitetit te Avaaz‐it. Dhe ata thone se kjo ndodhe per arsye se kur nje person nenshkruhet, numri i nenshkruesve shtohet &plus1. Por meqense kjo faqe posedon nje mjet per identifikimin e e‐mail adresave te rrejshme, dhe nese gjen se e‐maila ka qene e rrejshme, menjehere e fshin ate nenshkrim dhe numrin e zvogelon per ‐1. Ju faleminderit per mirkuptim.
CLARIFICATION&colon
Dear brothers and sisters, we apologize for the disappearing signatures. It appears the reason is due to a mechanism in the website that flags e‐mail addresses as spam/illegitimate. When someone signs a petition, it is registered right away on the petition site counter. However, the site sends an automatic verification email to the person who has just signed, and sometimes the email bounces because it wasn’t a legitimate email address or there was a spelling mistake in the address the signer provided. If that happens, the signature will be removed immediately from the petition since they can’t confirm it’s validity. And this will cause the number on the counter to go down.
We are pleading the European Commission, United Nations, European Court of Human Rights and the international community to put pressure on the Macedonian government to begin an unbiased, fair and transparent review of the evidence and to initiate a re‐trial, under international supervision, regarding the case of the recently convicted Albanians in Skopje, Macedonia.
Recently a group of men from the Albanian minority in Macedonia mainly from the town of Kumanovo, have been issued sentences ranging from 12 to life in prison, following a gun battle in 2015, that left eight police officers and 10 guerrilla fighters dead.
More on the case&colon
https&colon//www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/11/macedonia‐violence‐nikola‐gruevski‐government
In total 33 men were arrested. Seven of the defendants were handed life sentences Thursday, November 2nd, 2017 and another 13 were sentenced to 40 years in prison. The others got prison sentences from 12 to 20 years. Four of the detainees who also were kept in detention since 2015, were released the same day. The latter were arrested during their sleep&excl
But there is more to the story...
Family members of some of the convicted have reported that their loved ones never took part in any of the actions for which they are being incriminated. Charges corresponded to planned participation in militant attacks or as the authorities called it&colon preparing attacks against civilians and "strategic targets".
One of the defense lawyers said&colon "They should have been released the same day with the other four . " "The long sentences given are absurd considering the accusations for which they were being charged; " Support " and " Logistics " for the guerrilla fighters.
The accused have been kept in detention since 2015. New reports from witnesses state that some of the surrendered detainees have been verbally and physically abused with methods that violate human rights, including torture.
We have reason to believe that sentences given were heavily biased against the Albanian minority who account for 30&percnt of the total population. This minority is often subject to unfair treatment from the Macedonian authorities. In 2001 already there were clashes with the police for more rights.
Hundreds of people have gathered in Macedonia's capital Skopje to protest the heavy prison sentences given to members of the ethnic Albanian group.
The defendants all denied the charges and their lawyers said they would appeal.
"We didn't expect fair sentences, but we also didn't expect such a draconian ruling. It was a classic show trial," Naser Raufi, one of the lawyers for the defense said.
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