Kumanovo Group on strike, send letters from prison

According to them, there are three good reasons for the Kumanovo group to become the focus and, as they say, become a case review.

They have cited prisoner health conditions as the first fact, claiming there are violence by prison officials in Macedonia.

Second reasons they cite the escape of former Prime Minister Gruevski, as well as the conviction of former minister and chief of secret service.

The third, according to the letter, relates to the co-government of the LSDM and DUI, which, as the group put it, have continued with the same approach to Albanians.

Meanwhile, the group of prisoners have announced that they have gone on strike until their request is considered.

Full letter:

There are three good reasons that the case of “Kumanovo Group” will have to be dealt with urgently at this critical stage of developments about this case:

1. The group's health condition and inhuman treatment exercised against them by Macedonian prison officials;

2. The situation created regarding the case of escape aimed at avoiding justice on Nikola Gruevski's part would have to be considered crucial circumstances for assessing the legitimacy of the process since preparing and orchestrating the events that were sent to the events of May 2015, subsequent processes and until the final decisions of the “criminal system of”. If the first of this system was declared a criminal, if the other two main persons who insisted and orchestrated all the problems and war and who were also convicted, the former Interior Minister, and the former secret service chief turned out to be officially known criminals, then why this would not serve as a reason and crucial fact in bringing justice to the public in the Cumanova case;

3. The current system of state power in Macedonia, comprised of LSDM and DUI -- the latter Albanian party, representative of Albanians in Macedonia's government -- has begun the same avaz of implementing a different standards system based on ethnic affiliation, here we have in mind the case of the attackers of Zijadin Sela and the Macedonian Assembly.

It's been around four years now, and the Kumanovo Group, is being treated under possible inhuman conditions. In this case all international conventions have been violated regarding the treatment of prisoners. Just as the case with more assembly, a cause of persecution continued, the same was the trial of violation of basic human rights and freedoms, denying basic protection rights, denying undeniable evidence and crucial facts of judgment, where, by political interference, they did not allow that evidence which clearly testifies to the roots of this assembled case, were not invited witnesses who, with their testimony, would give the solution to this cruelty and injustice, but in the same form is continuing detention, which the Kumanovo Group is being treated and enduring under conditions that do not meet the minimum standards. We inform you that in Macedonia's prisons double standards are being used and in a normal and democratic state without political interference should not happen. Even though we are in custody and after repeated requests have not been accepted for us to be transferred to the Idrizovo prison, while the inmates of the terrorism case against Ziadin Seles and the Macedonian Assembly have yet to serve 2 months' imprisonment. In the meantime, we suggest that the actions that the Kumanovo Group is falsely charged with terrorism, and so do Ziadin Seles' attackers are accused of terrorism while it is already known there are differentations and forgiveness of people with the same charges, while there is no question about the Kumanovo Group. So by this reaction we express deep indignation at the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, Government, Parliament, the President and all other relevant institutions for non-support and support. The total interest of institutions has made us feel bad, vulnerable, and the hand of the state we fought for has not felt it at all. And with similar responses and deep disappointments we have toward the Government of the Republic of Albania, who for no moment proved to be protected.

In the absence of state support, we have already been forced to go on hunger strike for many reasons, we want fair solutions of the case, human treatment, basic human conditions, state support, and finally we seek freedom because we feel innocent.

With respect,

Kumanovo Group