Last week on Friday, President Gjorgi Ivanov decided to annul the pardons he had granted to 22 politicians out of the 56, a decision which has been strongly criticized by the International Community.
Today, as announced, the Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) are expected to issue an official comment regarding the annulment of the 22 people. At the Special Prosecutor’s Office, Katica Janeva is waiting for all the material on the individuals who had their pardons revoked, and for what offenses they were pardoned for originally.
The SPO on Friday unofficially told “Meta” that the annulment of the pardons has to apply to everyone, not some to be annulled and others not.
“Our position on this matter is that there is no justification for a selective approach when it comes to the implementation of the rule of law and the administration of justice”, said spokeswoman for the SPO, prosecutor Lenche Ristoska.
European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, criticised President Gjorgi Ivanov on the same day he made the decision to annul only 22 people.
“The decision by President Ivanov to annul the pardons of a number of people is not enough. As the EU has stressed on a several of occasions, a comprehensive solution is key to avoiding selective justice”, wrote Hahn on his official “Twitter” page.
The US Embassy in the country, with an identical tone, stated that “partial or selective annulments of the pardons will only contribute to the growing sense of impunity in the country”.
"Partial or selective revocations of the pardons will add to a growing sense of impunity in this country." https://t.co/ew8r5M4cuX
— U.S. Embassy North Macedonia (@USEmbassySkopje) May 27, 2016
“As we said last week, partial or selective annulments of the pardons will contribute and increase the sense of impunity in the country and will hinder Macedonia’s progress towards important goals, including the progress towards the EU and NATO. Macedonia must deal with this problem comprehensively”, reads the statement by the US Embassy, after President Ivanov made the decision to annul the pardons he granted to 22 people who had been ‘politically exposed’.
Yesterday, the British Ambassador to Macedonia Charles Garrett, wrote on his Twitter page, equality before the law, all 56 pardons have to be annulled.
“Equality before the law, 56/56 is needed”, wrote Garrett.
