Seven persons arrested in Macedonia allegedly fought in Syria, Iraq

The arrested persons are from the age of 23 to 47, of whom Macedonian police announce there have been and speaks of international arrest.

Seven Macedonian citizens, who have doubts about how foreign terrorist fighters, have actively participated in the wars in Syria and Iraq”, writes the REL.

According to police, this action presents clear indications that Macedonia as a state can face current security challenges and that it is a serious partner of the global coalition in the fight against terrorism.

“Under the global coalition for combating terrorism, the Republic of Macedonia continues further with continued activities towards detection, identification, neutralisation and prosecution of foreign fighters”, the communique is highlighted.

On the basis of Macedonia's Criminal Code, the participation or recruiting of persons to be involved in foreign wars, presents criminal acts for which the sentence of at least five years is presented.

Macedonia's Islamic Religious Community has called on Macedonia's security bodies to be more transparent on all data available about the number of people involved in the wars in Syria, Iraq and other countries in the Middle East.

Samet Shaban, a researcher on issues related to radicalism, has told Radio Free Europe factors that motivate young people from Macedonia to go into foreign wars.

Regarding involvement in violent extremist groups, our research shows that the main motives are: radical ideological belief cultivated by self-declared religious leaders of extremist groups, youth identity crisis and finding this identity in these groups, as well as some kind of frustration from the lack of perspective in the country and the search for alternative in such groups”, Shaban has said by the nongovernmental organisation Horizon Civitaas.

Security experts commenting on the challenges facing the country after the return of persons who have been involved in the war in Syria or other countries, say Macedonia's membership as a state in the North-Atlantic alliance presents one of the key pillars to the fight against terrorism.

Former Interior Minister Pavle Tajanov for Radio Free Europe says all those who return to Macedonia after having participated in foreign wars are the fraught “bomb”.

The “is well understood that with Macedonia's NATO membership, security will increase in the country with that we will become part of the course of innovations of global forces intelligence services, such as the US and countries with the EU, such as Germany, France, etc.”, says Pavle Tajanov, former interior affairs minister.

According to data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 150 Macedonian citizens are involved in the wars in Syria and Iraq. Of them, 80 people have returned to the country.