FIBA launches investigation after anti-Albanian calls to Kumanovo basketball match

“at this stage, we are collecting relevant reports and statements, working in close harmony with the national federations involved, as well as with local authorities and rule forces”, FIBA told REL.

According to Albanian politicians in Northern Macedonia, in the crowd of fans in the second prequalify phase match for the World Cup to be held in Qatar in 2017, calls have been heard as “The good Albanian is the late Albanian”, “Gas chamber for Albanians” and “pure Macedonia”.

FIBA said it condemns hate language without reservation and firmly and any form of discrimination or racist language.

“We actively promote the creation of a comprehensive and respectful environment for all players, teams and fans, as a top priority in sport”, she said.

Senior Northern Macedonian Government officials where Albanians make up about a quarter of the population of 1.8 million people were in the hall during the match.

The incident has also triggered severe reactions in Kosovo and Albania.

Northern Macedonia Prime Minister Hristian Mickoski, one of the officials who took part in the match, condemned <x0 nationalist and xenophobia <senophobic> in a statement on August 4th, two days after the match.

He said that, although present in the arena, “had not noticed the cheers of the fans, claiming they were made by “a small group of people”.

“I want to use this case to join the condemnation of nationalism and xenophobia ʹ first for what happened during the [North] and Romanian basketball match, and then to send a message to all fan groups -- to support in a sports way, support their team and national representative of Macedonia”, Mickoski said.

The opposition Albanian party in northern Macedonia, the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), said that at this event “heard anti-Albanian choirs, racist calls and pure language of ethnic hatred against Albanians”.

Northern Macedonia's Sports Minister Borko Ristovski said that this minister could not react specifically to this event, “because it does not come from any sports subject, it comes from fans in the dealt with us and we have no competence to react when it comes to fans”.

“Anyway, let me use this case to make an appeal: in Macedonia there is no need for such cheers, either on either side or on any side, from any side to come”.

Northern Macedonia's Penal Code envisions penalties for racist calls and hate speech in some articles, while the most important is Article 319, which predicts that anyone who promotes or publicly spreads hatred, divisions or intolerance on racial, religious, ethnic or national grounds is sentenced to imprisonment from one to five years.

On Monday, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said anti-Albanian calls heard in Kumanovo are unacceptable, and “cenise the spirit of co-existence and mutual respect”.

“Albanians are autochthon people on their lands, as well as deserve to be treated with dignity and equality, just like any other community”, Osmani said.

Kosovo's Olympic Committee condemned anti-Albanian calls during the match in Kumanovo in a Facebook response Monday, saying that such “actions are unacceptable and conflict with the basic values of the Olympic movement, which promote respect, equality and solidarity among the peoples”.

“The KOK calls on responsible institutions to take concrete measures on the hate speech and authors of these punishable behaviours, which have no place in sports events”, says in response.

Parliament Speaker Elisa Spiropali described insulting calls to Albanians as unacceptable.

The experience of hatred that promotes violence, ethnic conflict and racism, there is no place in any public space, much less in sports, which essentially carries the spirit of unity, cooperation, fair play and respect to another”, she said. / REL/ Periscopi/