Macedonia

A couple of issues that Civil Rights Defenders work with in Macedonia are legal advice and surveillance of the human rights situation. We also lobby for the passing of a law that will provide legal aid free of charge and legalise NGOs providing legal aid.

• The role of civil society, citizens and media in the Western Balkans: Challenges as an opportunity

  2011-11-22 - Albania
  

  Civil Rights Defenders is organising a two-day regional conference in cooperation with Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) on the theme “The role of civil society, citizens and media in the Western Balkans: Challenges as an opportunity“. The conference will be held in Sarajevo, November 22-23. Journalists, activists and civil society organisations from the [...]

• Education in human rights for Law students

  2011-04-15 - Macedonia
  

  On April 15th to 17th, we are organising the fifth Moot court competition for law students from the Western Balkans. The students are trained in the procedures of the European Court. Five judges from the European Court will sit on the jury.

• Police raid of TV station in Macedonia

  2010-11-26 - Macedonia
  

  On 25th of November the TV station A1 in Skopje was raided by the police. We urge the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter, and the political parties to stop abusing their position for their own political promotion.

• Macedonia guilty of unlawful detention

  2010-11-04 - Macedonia
  

  The right to liberty and security was violated when 72 persons were unlawfully held in detention, says the European Court for Human Rights (ECHR) in a case submitted by our partner, the Macedonian Helsinki Committee in co-operation with Civil Rights Defenders.

• Human rights in Macedonia

  2010-09-01 - Analysis
  

  (Updated in September 2010) Macedonia has not developed the way many had hoped for, during the last few years. The country has still not met the necessary requirements set up for beginning negotiations for EU membership. The reasons for this are many but the unsolved name issue with Greece and the failure to include the [...]

• Struggling for a free legal aid system – in cooperation with Macedonian Young Lawyers’ Association

  2010-08-09 - Joint initiatives
  

  Through our cooperation with Macedonian Young Lawyers’ Association, we want contribute to the adoption of the best anti-discrimination policies, practices and standards possible within the judicial system in Macedonia. This will be done through strategic litigation.

• Supporting a Professional Education in Journalism – in cooperation with Macedonian Institute for Media

  2010-05-09 - Joint initiatives
  

  For the past three years we have assisted the Macedonian Institute for Media, MIM, a training centre for journalists and media professionals, in educating a considerable number of journalists through their One Year Diploma Program in Journalism. In addition to supporting the education of a new generation of journalists in Macedonia, our purpose of cooperating with MIM has been to try to establish a professional self sustainable school of journalism.

• Macedonian team winner in this year’s moot court competition

  2010-04-27 - Macedonia
  

  Team Prima Iustiniana from the law faculty at the University of Skopje in Macedonia was the winning team of this year’s moot court competition. Team Radomir Lukic from Novi Sad in Serbia was ranked second in the competition.

• Unique opportunity for education in human rights

  2010-04-25 - Events
  

  In April 23-25 Civil Rights Defenders will arrange the fourth moot court competition in Rijeka, Croatia. The involvement of Law schools from five countries, professors, highly experienced judges from the region, makes the Moot Court competition a unique opportunity for education. Ten clubs from Macedonia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia and Croatia will participate. Two judges from [...]

• Enabling Roma communities to access basic human rights – in cooperation with ARKA

  2010-04-09 - Joint initiatives
  

  The main objective of our cooperation with the organisation ARKA is to register, and provide identification documents, to around 300 Roma individuals in Skopje, Kumanovo, Kratovo, and Kriva Palanka regions. The registration will give them access to basic human rights; such as the right to education, health care, social allowances, as well as the possibility to get a legal employment and the right to vote in general elections.

• Sexual orientation and gender identity must be included in anti-discrimination law

  2010-03-10 - Macedonia
  

  In a letter to the Prime Minister of Macedonia Civil Rights Defenders call on the Macedonian government to withdraw the current Anti-discrimination bill, which does not include protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

• Improving accountability of duty holders – in cooperation with Macedonian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights

  2010-03-09 - Joint initiatives
  

  We have cooperated with the Macedonian Helsinki Committee for more than a decade, with the main focus to enhance awareness and respect for human rights and the rule of law in Macedonia. By providing free legal aid we not only improve people’s access to justice but also monitor the respect of human rights by authorities, and put pressure on authorities to comply with international and national human rights standards.

• Strengthening the judiciary – in cooperation with Coalition All for Fair Trials

  2010-02-15 - Joint initiatives
  

  The overall aim of our cooperation with the Coalition for All Fair Trials is to strengthen the independency, efficiency and impartiality of the judiciary in Macedonia. The Coalition will measure whether there is an improvement in the implementation of the existing laws and how efficient the legal procedure in the judiciary is.

• Macedonia gets Law on legal aid

  2010-02-04 - Macedonia
  

  On January 7, 2010, a new law on legal aid came into force in Macedonia. The adopted law represents a major step forward in improving access to justice for vulnerable social groups.

• Discrimination against Roma children in primary school

  2009-12-28 - Macedonia
  

  In Macedonia, Roma children are placed in special classes and the segregation is widespread in many areas, Macedonian Helsinki Committee says in its latest monthly report on the human rights situation in the country.

• Law on free legal aid lacks crucial components

  2009-12-01 - Macedonia
  

  A new law on free legal aid is in process in the Macedonian parliament. But the law lacks crucial components that would guarantee access to justice for all groups in the society. Together with our partner we are now working on having some amendments adopted to the law.

• New tests for Macedonian democracy

  2009-02-25 - Events
  

  Zarko Hadzi-Zafirov, Macedonian Young Lawyers Association, talks about the road towards EU for Macedonia. The presidential and local elections in March 2009 will affect the start of the negotiation talks about EU membership to a large extent. Last year the Macedonian government was heavily criticized for the riots and violence that followed the parliamentary elections, [...]