Several hundred journalists, citizens and students who came out today to protest against the conviction of journalist Tomislav Kezharovski, expressed their resentment and condemnation in front of the Government, where, according to them, the unjust decision to imprison and then to temporary release the journalist, is tailored.
With masks of Kezharovski on their faces, banners and whistles, the protest began in front of the Court of Appeal Skopje, by writing the slogan “Freedom for Kezho” on a white cloth, placed on the ground in front of the court.
Tamara Chausidis from the Independent Union of Journalists announced the arrival of Kezharovski, who this morning was suddenly released from prison “Skopje”.
Emotions were mixed when he came in front of the court with his family.
– Tomche is with us. But he was released just for treatment. This is only a small victory, but not an insignificant one. We still haven’t won the war. We won’t give up on Kezho. We won’t accept anything short of freedom. Everything was fine until Kezharovski investigated for murder in Oreshe, everything was also fine when he investigated the flaws in the case of the murder. But when the colleague Nikola Mladenov was killed and when Kezharovski began to investigate this murder and got to important information, then all the trouble started for Tomche. Kezharovski wrote and investigated that something is wrong with the investigation for Mladenov and has not seen daylight ever since. The imprisoned him as they closed the investigation for Mladenov, with cackling. Kezharovski took the burden to defend the dignity of journalists to investigate and reveal. We will continue to fight for Kezharovski, for Mladenov and for all journalists silenced and humiliated because we owe it to the citizens, because we are their voice – said Chausidis.
On the plateau in front of the Court of Appeal, with a march, journalists and citizens moved the protest in front of the Government, where the journalist Zoran Dimitrovski, member of the Committee for initiative for the release of Kezharovski directed harsh criticism and a message to the Government.
– The morning when Kezharovski was arrested, a troubadour of the government called me to tell me that they arrested a journalist. He laughed, he gloated, and he knew that a journalist from the newspaper in which I am an editor is concerned. Such is their mood, dear colleagues. They are inhuman! They laugh and rejoice at other’s misfortune. They imprison journalists, arrest political opponents, destroy families, humiliate professors, intellectuals, farmers and students who do not want to dance to their music – and then they celebrate! They are the same as those savages of Islamic state! On behalf of the nation, they cut intellectuals and media, lustrate, imprison free-minded people and sing! Gang! On behalf of the nation, they turned Macedonia into a monster! First Balkan Caliphate in Europe! They ruled two years of prison for Kezharovski and asked us to say – thank you for you are so merciful – and to kiss the hand of the pastor. To celebrate his generosity! Allegedly, he is the same as Mother Teresa!? That’s our boy! He took off the mask a long time ago, and here’s his true face! Whose hand should we kiss? This scoundrel who is censoring us, constantly punishing us, humiliating us, takes the bread of our mouths, the fees, the justice, the freedom, arrests us and threatens us, publicly stigmatizes us as traitors, whips us, embarrass us locally and globally … Is he the one whose hand we need to kiss? No way, colleagues and citizens! We didn’t come to give “thumbs up” to this scoundrel, who promised European ambassadors that Kezharovski will remain free and lied to them a hundred times. We have to send a message that we are not afraid – emphasized Dimitrovski.
He said that the protest is against Prime Minister Gruevski and that he and his gang are temporary, while freedom is eternal.
– We know that he doesn’t appreciate freedom, democracy, human rights. We know that physical liberty or life of the people mean nothing to him. We came to say that among us there are left and right oriented people, believers and atheists, but we, unlike him, appreciate freedom and justice! We came to say that everyone in the world already know that he is a tyrant, that his lies are valid only where the fear reigns, the fear spread by his criminal association. We came to say that we overcame the fear a long time ago! We came to laugh in his face and to send a message that Kezharovski will pull through, and that our fight for freedom will continue. We do not intend to bargain, we do not want to be falsely decent and to say that we are not against him. No! We are against him, we are resolutely against him and we will be even more so if he doesn’t appreciate freedom, if he doesn’t want to hear our voice. We came to say that he and his gang are temporary, while freedom and justice are eternal! – said Dimitrovski.
In the same tone and with criticism towards the Government addressed the President of AJM Naser Selmani, announcing “the more you are pressing us, the more resistance you’ll get.”
– Kezharovski in prison because these people cannot stand criticism and put him in prison to get revenge and to intimidate us. Shame on you for what you did to Macedonia! The Government controls most of the media through advertising with our money. Where did these guys learn this lesson about democracy? Even the few children do not believe the story that the court is independent. We believe that the people from this building behind us are behind the decision for the imprisonment of Kezharovski. They could have acquitted him, but they didn’t, they rejected the law for protected witnesses – said Selmani.
With police escort, Dimitrovski, Selmani and Chausidis were allowed to enter the government building, where they left a framed caricature of Gruevski, on which he is represented with military dagger in his hands and a bag with blood on it that says “free media”.
