2011 Macedonian protests

April 2014 April 2022 The 2011 Macedonian protests against police brutality or simply 2011 Macedonian protests were demonstrations that started on 6 June 2011August 2022 as a result of the murder of the 22-year-old Martin Neškovski, who was beaten to death by Igor Spasov, a member of the special police forces Tigers.https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/hundreds-protest-macedonian-beating-death/2011/06/07/AGwsJHLH_blog.html Hundreds protest Macedonian beating death The Washington Post 7 June 2011 The case itself is also tied to the 2015 Macedonian protests. Prelude In the early morning hours of 6 June 2011, while the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party celebrated its early election victory in the main square in the capital, Skopje, 22-year-old Martin Neškovski, unarmed and celebrating the victory, was beaten to death by a member of the special forces 'Tigers' charged with securing the celebrations and protecting the Prime Minister. His body was covered up with cardboard and left, as if nothing had happened. However, Since his killing had been witnessed by scores of people, it was publicized via X (then Twitter). The following day, the Ministry of the Interior made no mention of the killing and stated that they had no report of a killing.Спецполицай преби до смърт младеж в центъра на Скопие https://dnes.dir.bg/svyat/makedonia-policai-skopie-8797494 Dnes.dir.bg bg 8 June 2011 When asked by reporters about the 'tweets', both the Minister of the Interior and her spokesperson, spoke in contradictions.August 2022. Protests On the evening of 7 June, some 250 people gathered spontaneously in the center of the city and held a quiet protest, sitting down on the asphalt on one of the city's main arteries. The following day, a Facebook event invited people to symbolically protest against police brutality in front of the Mother Teresa Memorial House, where some 800 people peacefully protested and then marched through the streets with banners saying: "We want Justice", "STOP Police Brutality" and "Enough Silence – Speak Up".August 2022 A few days later, on 10 June, a public holiday, between five and seven thousand took to the streets.Протестите продолжуваат https://www.slobodnaevropa.mk/a/24233338.html Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty mk 13 June 2011 Many celebrities (artists, musicians, politicians, etc.) showed up and marched on the streets.August 2022 Many of them sent their video messages supporting the protests against police brutality.August 2022 Petar Stojkoviḱ, an actor, was among the most active ones in the media. He also took part in a public hearing held in the European Parliament (Brussels, 2011) where he shared his experience from the protests regarding the media coverage and spoke publicly about the pressures to silence the press and the attempts by the Macedonian government to cover up the truth for the murder of Martin Neškoski.http://www.alde.eu/event-seminar/events-details/article/silencing-the-press-press-and-media-freedom-in-the-former-yugoslav-republic-of-macedonia-37584/ Silencing the press: Press and media freedom in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 20 September 2011 26 November 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20130626104625/http://www.alde.eu/event-seminar/events-details/article/silencing-the-press-press-and-media-freedom-in-the-former-yugoslav-republic-of-macedonia-37584/ 26 June 2013 dead http://www.cpj.org/blog/2011/10/press-freedom-issues-may-keep-macedonia-from-joini.php Press freedom issues may keep Macedonia from EU Jean-Paul Marthoz Committee to Protect Journalists 17 October 2011 The protests were held every day throughout June, and some on July. The protesters met at 18:00 at the Mother Teresa Memorial House, and then proceeded to march along the main arteries of the capital Skopje, blocking all traffic, until they reached one of the state institutions (Parliament, High Court, Ministry of the Interior), where they peacefully sat down, chanted and held minutes of silence out of respect for the murdered young man. Reactions Macedonian Twitter users rallied around the hashtags #Daniel, #Martin and #protestiram after the young man’s death, tweeting updates. In the 2015 Macedonian protests, opposition leader Zoran Zaev accused PM Nikola Gruevski and other officials of attempting to cover up the murder of Martin Neškovski, revealing taped phone conversations.Macedonian opposition chief: PM tried to cover up a killing https://apnews.com/article/b93b76fcd34b4b9b952ba2dd9ba9a872 Associated Press 6 May 2015 The allegations were denied by Gruevski, accusing the opposition of tampering with the tapes.Gruevski denies MoI tried to cover up Martin Neskovski's killing in 2011 https://vlada.mk/node/10484?ln=en-gb Government of the Republic of North Macedonia 6 May 2015 Legal proceedings After the murder, Igor Spasov reportedly turned himself in and charges were filed against him. During the trial, a small group of people protested before the court, led by Neškovski’s brother, Aleksandar. Igor Spasov was convicted of the murder and on 1 January 2012, he was found guilty and sentenced to 14 years in the Idrizovo prison."Тигарот" Спасов осуден на 14 години затвор Deutsche Welle https://www.dw.com/mk/%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82-%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD-%D0%BD%D0%B0-14-%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%80/a-15669257 mk 1 January 2012 He was later given a suspended sentence temporarily for health reasons, which he used to flee from prison in 2019.Martin Neskovski's killer did not return to prison https://www.slobodenpecat.mk/en/ubieczot-na-martin-neshkovski-ne-se-vratil-vo-zatvor/ Sloboden Pečat 24 October 2019 Igor Spasov was released for treatment: The court issued an order for his transfer to prison https://www.slobodenpecat.mk/en/igor-spasov-bil-pushten-na-lekuvane-sudot-izdal-naredba-za-negov-sprovod-vo-zatvor/ Слободен Печат 25 October 2019 Наумовски Горан An international arrest warrant was issued due to his escape.As of today, the killer of Martin Neskovski is wanted on a warrant https://www.slobodenpecat.mk/en/ubieczot-na-martin-neshkovski-od-deneska-se-bara-so-poternicza/ Sloboden Pečat 28 October 2019 In 2021, Spasov was arrested in the Mladost district of the capital of Bulgaria over a domestic violence report by the Bulgarian police, where he was residing.Details about the arrest of Igor Spasov were revealed by the Sofia police after a report https://www.slobodenpecat.mk/en/detali-za-apseneto-na-igor-spasov-sofiskata-policzija-go-otkri-po-dojava/ Sloboden Pečat 2 February 2021 Igor Spasov discovered after a report of domestic violence in the apartment in Sofia https://www.slobodenpecat.mk/en/igor-spasov-otkrien-po-prijava-za-semejno-nasilstvo-vo-stanot-vo-sofija/ Sloboden Pečat 2 February 2021 The Bulgarian authorities discovered that he was wanted by Interpol and later extradited him to North Macedonia, where he was returned to the Idrizovo prison to serve the rest of his sentence.Igor Spasov returned behind bars in Idrizovo https://www.slobodenpecat.mk/en/igor-spasov-vraten-zad-reshetki-vo-idrizovo/ Sloboden Pečat 5 March 2021 Aftermath The European Court of Human Rights stated that the Republic of Macedonia conducted an efficient investigation in the case of Martin Neškovski.Европски суд: Истрагата на државата за Мартин Нешковски – ефикасна http://netpress.com.mk/203220-2/ Net Press mk 21 January 2016 Martin's father died by suicide nearly a year after the murder.Почина Драган Нешкоски, таткото на убиениот Мартин https://www.slobodnaevropa.mk/a/24578467.html Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 12 May 2012 mk See also List of protests in the 21st century List of cases of police brutality 2015 Macedonian protests 2016 Macedonian protests 2017 storming of Macedonian Parliament 2022 North Macedonia protests References External links Marching Against Police Brutality in Macedonia | The Stream – Al Jazeera Blog about the case Blog about the case v2 Criminal charge against Igor Spasov (in Macedonian) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofiRmk9Ul7w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWXVRs77y2o Category:Modern history of North Macedonia Category:Human rights abuses in North Macedonia Protests Category:2011 protests Category:Police brutality in Europe Category:Police brutality in the 2010s Category:Protests against police brutality Category:Politics of North Macedonia Category:Murder in North_Macedonia 2011 Macedonian protests