The former Prime Minister and VMRO-DPMNE’s party leader, Nikola Gruevski announced at today’s press conference that he will not appear at the Appeal court tomorrow and during the trial at the “Tank” case neither his attorneys will attend, because, the decision was already decided politically.
Gruevski accused the government that it leads a political prosecution against him and while the judges are acting professionally but they work under duress.
Neither I nor my attorneys will show up at the court. Even their presence at the Appellate Court cannot change anything. No legal arguments are enough for a politcally motivated verdict and the politcal decision that was made in advance. If the judges are so frightened and have succumbed to political orders then this is an opportunity for making a political decision in my absence. No illegal imprisonment will erase from the people’s memories the acts that I have done for this country and people, in order to defend the state interests – said Gruevski.
He also said that he is not tried by the court but by politics.
-The Judiciary is persecuting me because I was the leader of VMRO-DPMNE and because I’m an obstacle to someone. The judges are professionals and are experts, but are working under great duress, and some are close to Zoran Zaev – said Gruevski and complained that a term was set for a hearing at a time when his attorneys were at a hearing concerning the attacks at the Parliament on the 27th of April, and he was at the Appellate for 11 hours.
Regarding the documents published by Wikileaks which claim that he had agreed to change the name into Republic of North Macedonia, Gruevski said that it was a futile attempt on part of the government and rubbish.
These are futile attempts by the government and probably there will more of thise. They are campaigning now and we shall hear all sorts of rubbish. It is clear why I’m at court and why I’m a subject of apolitical persecution and torture. If I agreed with the Greeks, the situation would have been different and I’m a man of principles and dignity – said Gruevski.
