site.btaEight Arrested in North Macedonia Following Incidents on Albanian Independence Day

Eight people were arrested Thursday evening following incidents in Skopje and other cities in North Macedonia during Albanian Independence and Flag Day, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said at a press conference on Friday.

Four individuals were detained for their involvement in a fight, while the other four were arrested based on a suspicion of committing a crime inciting national, racial, and religious hatred and intolerance, which carries a minimum sentence of one year in prison, Toshkovski explained.

One of the arrested individuals is a minor, while the others are aged between 18 and 21. One was arrested while attempting to burn the national flag of North Macedonia, and another was detained for throwing the flag on the ground. Video and photo footage that was shared on social media was reviewed and analyzed to help solving some of the cases, the Minister added, vowing that there will be more arrests.

In the videos and photos shared on social media and published in North Macedonian media, the country's national flag can be seen being burned, thrown on the ground, and stomped on. In some of the footage, it can be heard that automatic weapons were also used.

"The incidents yesterday [Thursday] were a direct attack on the dignity of Macedonian citizens, such actions are a direct assault on the state. We will not allow such actions to fuel ethnic tensions in the country," Toshkovski warned, noting that the police responded appropriately to the incidents.