Open Letter to the Macedonian General Prosecutor Mr Stavre Džikov
13 July 2000
On July 13, 2000, the ERRC sent a letter of concern to the Macedonian General Prosecutor Mr Stavre Džikov, expressing concern at an instance of police abuse of Roma in Stip, central Macedonia. The text of the letter follows:
Honourable General Prosecutor Džikov,
The European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), an international public interest law organisation monitoring the rights of Roma in Europe and providing legal defence in cases of human rights abuse, is concerned about an instance of police brutality against several Roma in the village of Šašavarlije, near Štip, central Macedonia.
According to ERRC information, on May 26, 2000, in the early morning, Mr Selajdin Mustafov, Mr Šehri Mustafov, Mr Orhan Aliov, Mr Ferat Skenderovski, Mr Mamet Redžepov and a minor called Džemo Aliov went to gather firewood in the village of Šašavarlija, close to Štip, without the permission of the owners of the forest. Around 3:00 AM, while returning home with their horse-drawn carts, they were stopped by a group of five policemen and three ethnic Macedonian villagers from Šašavarlija. One of the villagers hit Mr Šehri Mustafov in the mouth with an iron rod. He fell down, and then managed to escape. One of the policemen hit Mr Selajdin Mustafov several times, handcuffed him, and pushed him into the police car. The non-Romani group then surrounded the other Roma and beat them severely until, around 6:00 AM, the police handcuffed and took Mr Orhan Aliov, Mr Selajdin Mustafov, Mr Redžepov and Mr Skenderovski to the police station in Štip. In the process, officers impounded their carts.
In the police station one of the police officers, occasionally joined by several other colleagues, allegedly continued to beat Mr Aliov, Mr Mustafov, and Mr Redžepov. Officers released them at around 10:00 AM. Mr Šenaj Osmanov, president of the Association for Human Rights Protection of Roma, visited the victims of the police beating on the same day, and, upon establishing that all of them were in severe pain and were unable to move, transported them to the local hospital where they received urgent medical treatment. Mr Selajdin Mustafov was diagnosed with two fractured ribs, and remained in the hospital for further treatment. Mr Orhan Aliov and Mr Redžepov were diagnosed with contusions on their heads and bodies.
On behalf of Mr Selajdin Mustafov, Mr Orhan Aliov and Mr Redžepov, the Association for Human Rights Protection of Roma filed criminal charges against Mr D.A., one of the police officers involved, on June 2. As of July 12, the police were still in possession of the carts owned by the Roma. As of the same date, ERRC is not aware of charges pressed against any of the Roma involved in this case.
The above described incident is only the most recent one in the row of incidents of police brutality against Roma in Štip. The ERRC sent two letters of concern to the relevant Macedonian authorities, in April 1998 and March 1999, on the subject of such frequent instances of police brutality against Roma in Štip and the inadequate response on the part of authorities to complaints of police abuse of Roma. The ERRC has to date received no response to either of the letters. In the country report A Pleasant Fiction: The Human Rights Situation of Roma in Macedonia of July 1998, the ERRC registered numerous instances of police abuse of Roma in Macedonia, and made recommendations to the Macedonian government in the field of police abuse. The text of the report, in English and Macedonian, can be found on the ERRC internet site at: ERRC: Publications.
Honourable General Prosecutor Džikov, the ERRC urges you thoroughly to investigate allegations of police brutality against Roma in Štip, and take immediate measures to ensure that officers who abuse their authority are disciplined. We also respectfully request to be informed on any actions taken by your office.
Yours sincerely,
Dimitrina Petrova
Executive Director
Persons wishing to express similar concerns are urged to contact the Macedonian General Prosecutor's Office at the fax number: +389 91 231 267
