Violent Protests in Skopje, Macedonia After Arrest of Muslim Suspects

In early April five Macedonians were massacred by summary execution of four Macedonians, aged 18-22 and one mid-aged Macedonian while they were fishing on Good Friday this year.   Macedonian police arrested 20 men on May 2nd, linking them to radical Muslim group. The arrests have prompted outrage by Muslims, who object to the term radical Muslim.


To make their point, there have been violent protests in Skopje, Tetovo, Kumanovo and Gostivar and other cities around Macedonia.  The suspects are all Muslims and the protesters are demanding a fair trial.   The background on Macedonia and the killing of the five men fishing can be found at Macedonia and Radical Islamism - Ethnic Thrive

During the protests, protesters shouted "Muslims are not terrorists!"  Several youths threw rocks and smashed windows in government offices and court buildings.  There were no reports of any arrests, although police reported that six policeman, one reporter and one cameraman was injured.  The extend of the injuries are not known.

Ethnic Albanians make up about one quarter of the population in Macedonia, while  Orthodox Christians are the dominant majority.  Ethnic groups  composition as of 2002: Macedonian 64.18%, Albanian 25.17%, Turkish 3.85%, Roma 2.66%, Serb 1.78%. 

Macedonia is a Parliamentary Democracy, which gets its authority from the 1991 constitution, which was amended in November 2001 by a series of constitutional amendments strengthening minority rights, in 2005 with amendments related to the judiciary, in 2009 related to the census for the election of president, and in 2010 with amendments allowing extradition of Macedonian citizens to third countries.  The Prime Minister is the head of gouvernment. The legal system is based on civil law; judicial review of legislative acts.  Macedonia became independent from the Former Yugoslavia in 1991.  

Live Blog of the Protest from Balkan Insight


More on Macedonia Wikileaks

Timeline Former Yugoslavia 1918 - 2006

White Book PDF - Background on Macedonia