Seven defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment for the events that occured in Divo Naselje on May 9th and 10th, 2015. 13 defendants were sentenced to 40 years in prison, six were sentenced 20, one defendant for 18 years, two for 14 years, two for 13 years and another two were sentenced for 12 years in prison.
These were the verdicts for the 33 defendants in the “Divo Naselje” case, which was announced today by judge Verka Petkovska. Four out of the 37 defendants were acquitted.
Today’s hearing passed in a tense atmosphere, with a large police presence, inside and outside the complex of courts in Skopje.
Before the verdicts were read out, the defendants got out of their seats and began singing the Albanian anthem, and shouted “UÇK” (Kosovo Liberation Army) and threatened that there will be revenge for the blood of the murdered and that there will be no peace in Macedonia.
The judge removed most of the defendants from the courtroom who had made a mess. They then they read the verdicts.
During the events in Kumanovo on May 9th and 10th, 2015, an armed group clashed with Macedonian security forces, eight members of the security forces were killed and about 40 injured. The whole case has been followed by many controversies that have not yet been explained.
