Criminal charges against the mayors of Tetova and Çairi for hosting Albin Kurti

2023-08-15 18:34:21, Kosova & Bota CNA

Criminal charges against the mayors of Tetova and Çairi for hosting Albin

Illustrative photo

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia filed criminal charges on Tuesday against the mayors of Tetova and Çairi, for, as he said, "violation of the law on the use of state symbols", during the visit of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti. on August 11.

The mayor of Tetova, Bilall Kasami, and the mayor of Çair, Visar Ganiu, were interrogated on Tuesday by the Macedonian Police, who announced the decision on the criminal charges.

"During the official visit of the Kosovo delegation to North Macedonia, led by the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, at the reception organized on 11.08.2023, on 'Ferid Murati' street in Skopje and in the town square in Tetovo, it is not act in accordance with the Law on the use of the coat of arms, flag and anthem of the Republic of North Macedonia. During the demonstrations organized on that occasion, the national anthem was not sung and the national flag of the Republic of North Macedonia was not hoisted, thus violating Article 30 of the same law", it was stated in the announcement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Skopje.

In the written communique it is said that "The police will continue the search for the person who in one of the demonstrations waved the flag of the so-called 'Greater Albania'".

The law on the use of state symbols, Article 30, provides penalties of 1,000 to 5,000 euros in case the public person violates the provisions, respectively if he does not use these symbols in the manifestations defined by other legal provisions.

The questioning was also confirmed by the mayors of the two municipalities, who called the actions of the authorities "communist" with the purpose of "intimidation".

"Communism here is not dead, it is alive and our governors are keeping it alive together with Ali Ahmet and [Arben] Taravar. Such attempts at intimidation and silence, as in the time of communism, do not frighten us at all, and we continue with our heads held high. They frighten us even less when these blackmails and attempts to hinder the united opposition come from the corrupt and blackmailed rulers who are now counting their days on their fingers. The time of intimidating Albanians, arresting them and taking them to notorious police stations is over," said the mayor of Tetova, Bilall Kasami, in a post on Facebook.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has stayed in these two municipalities inhabited by Albanian population, at the invitation of the mayor of Çairi, Visar Ganiu, and that of Tetova, Bilall Kasami.

Kurti participated in the inauguration of a road with the name of the activity, Adem Demaçi in Çair, while in Tetovo he participated in the inauguration of a road in the Tetovo Highlands.

During this visit, Kurti and the head of Tetova talked about the need to open a tunnel with a length of about 6 kilometers, which would connect Tetova with Prizren.

Prime Minister Kurti's stance in Tetovë and Çair, respectively the use of Albanian iconography during organized demonstrations, has caused numerous reactions, including from the Macedonian president, Stevo Pendarovski, who has requested sanctions for the organizers of this visit./ REL