Macedonian journalists gathered [2] [mk; video and text: sq [3], mk [4]] in front of the Criminal Court in the capital Skopje today to protest against the arrest of their colleague, Tomislav Kezarovski, according to this note [5] [en] posted in the Macedonian Facebook group titled “Journalists and citizens in defense of the right to freedom of information.” It appears that the official reason for Kezarovski's 30-day detention is a story he wrote five years ago for a publication that no longer exists. On the other hand, he has been investigating the death of Nikola Mladenov [6], publisher and editor of an independent media outlet, for the past two months. Although the official cause of Mladenov's death is a “classic traffic accident,” much remains unclear in the case. Kezarovski wrote an article [7] [mk] about Mladenov's last hours, based on the evidence found by the Nova Makedonija daily's team, revealing that after the police left the heavily-guarded crime scene, much evidence was left there, including paid toll bills and parts of the vehicle.
Macedonian Journalist's Arrest Stirs Protest
· Written by Veronica Khokhlova
Categories: Eastern & Central Europe, North Macedonia, Breaking News, Citizen Media, Digital Activism, Freedom of Speech, Governance, Human Rights, Law, Media & Journalism, Politics, Protest