Macedonia: Ethnic Albanian protest ends peacefully in Skopje
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 11 July 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Macedonia: Ethnic Albanian protest ends peacefully in Skopje, 11 July 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/53ce30c81a.html [accessed 23 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 11, 2014
By RFE/RL's Balkan Service
Several thousand ethnic Albanians have staged a peaceful protest in the Macedonian capital Skopje against the jailing of six ethnic Albanians on murder and terrorism charges.
The six were sentenced to life in prison for the murder of five Macedonians during Orthodox Easter in 2012. The protesters call the convictions politically motivated.
There had been concerns the protests on July 11 might lead to violence because police in Skopje clashed with protesters at a rally last week against the prison sentences.
The U.S. Embassy in Skopje, the European Union, and the OSCE mission had called on citizens of Macedonia to refrain from violence and to demonstrate their views peacefully.
In a statement given to RFE/RL on July 11, the U.S. Embassy said "violence undermines the legitimacy of causes and detracts from productive efforts to resolve issues."
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
