Time:7:22 p.m. ; 11:44 CEST; Latest Update: November 3, 2017, 1:26 p.m. CEST
Primary Court Skopje 1 in Skopje announced the verdict for 37 defendants in the case of Kumanovo events in 2015, when an armed group clashed with police forces. Rare relatives of defendants received the news on verdicts with crying, but the situation remained calm in front of the Supreme Court building in Skopje, where police deployed heavy presence. The Court judged seven life imprisonment sentences and one additional in a separate trial for Sulejman Osmani. This verdict was announced on November 3, as published in media.
A lawyer Naser Raufi commented the verdict and said the court judged seven life-imprisonment sentences and three acquittal verdicts.“In the case, known as ‘Divo Naselje,’ of 37 defendants, three was released. The penalties included seven sentences with life imprisonment, 11 fines with a penalty of 40 years, while the other fines ranged from 13 to 20 years,” Raufi stated. He explained that as defense lawyers, they do not expected punitive penalties, but they did not expected “such draconian sentences.”
One of several lawyers in this trial case commented the verdict and said he expects appeal to higher courts to change the verdicts. “We hope that the higher courts and Special Prosecution and in the case before the second and third instance courts we will prove there is no criminal offence for a terrorist organization,” Asmir Alispahic said. The defense in the case has 15 days to appeal the verdict to higher courts.
The Court announced the verdict in the half-empty courtroom and lawyers gave statements to reporters outside, where some of the relatives of the defendants waited to hear the sentences. The police apprehended (0′:38″) a person who yielded in front of the metal fences set as protection near building of the Supreme Court and according to the video, he had a yellow object on his waist.
The trial lasted for almost two years. Prosecution charged most of the defendants with terrorism charges, which defense lawyers in the case challenged at Court.
AlsatM reported on their website that police apprehended Kosovo photojournalist Blerim Uka who, as the TV says, had press credentials obtained through Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bilingual private broadcaster said that further details are unknown about the arrest. Police released Uka after he spent six hours in a police station.
On November 3, Ministry of Interior announced that on November 2, police apprehended one camera operator (videographer) from a Macedonian broadcaster and one camera operator from a Kosovo broadcaster, the statement published on MOI’s website said. Police apprehended both at about 2:00 p.m. yesterday for, as MOI stated, recording without permission outside or inside the Court. Several Kosovo media reported on the verdicts as 19 of the defendants from armed group are from Kosovo.
Meanwhile, as Prishitina based Koha.net reports, Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj faced several protesters in Prishtina, protesting the sentences in the case. AlsatM in Skopje reported that Haradinaj request international investigation on the case.
Further, as multiple media outlets reported, in several towns in Kosovo, football fans burned down the flag of the Republic of Macedonia due to the sentences announced in Kumanovo Case from 2015. Several Kosovo media reported on the verdicts as several of the defendants from armed group who fought with police in Kumanovo are from Kosovo.
Aleksandra Dukovska 