Our colleague Kezarovski
Tomislav Kezarovski, an investigative Journalist from Macedonia, is about to be sentenced to 4.5 years for doubtful reasons. Please call the authorities in charge to avert the verdict!
An international coalition of media organizations and a growing number of concerned European citizens call for the rehabilitation and unconditional release of Macedonian journalist, Tomislav Kezarovski.
We ask everybody to support Tomislav Kezarovski and media freedom in Macedonia by expressing your protest on the social media channels of the Macedonian authorities in charge. The aim is to make them understand that we monitor the case, and that a conviction of Kezarovski will harm Macedonia’s reputation. You will find more background information on the case below.
Please join in…
… by using your twitter account:
Below you'll find some ready made posts directed to the people in charge and share them within your network:
The Macedonian Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski:
@GruevskiNikola, I follow the #Kezarovski case & call for his release and rehabilitation. Pls respect media freedom: http://bit.ly/1dtzapu
The Vice Prime Minister for EU-Integration, Fatmir Besimi:
@Fatmir_Besimi, I follow the #Kezarovski case & call for his release and rehabilitation. Pls respect media freedom: http://bit.ly/1dtzapu
...or by posting on the social media accounts of the following people envolved in the case
on the Facebook account of the macedonian Minister of Justice, Blerim Bexheti
Dear Justice Minister Bexheti, I follow the case of T. #Kezarovski and call for his release and rehabilitation. Please respect media freedom. Thank you! http://bit.ly/1dtzapu
on the Contact Form of the Court headed by President of the Court, Vladimir Pancevski
Dear President of the Court Pancevski, I follow the case of T. Kezarovski and call for his release and rehabilitation. Please respect media freedom. Thank you!
on the Linkedin account of the Prosecutor in charge, Marko Zvrlevski
Dear Prosecutor Zvrlevski, I follow the case of T. Kezarovski and call for his release and rehabilitation. Please respect media freedom. Thank you!
Background
The Macedonian journalist Tomislav Kezarovski was arrested in May 2013 and was held in detention under harsh conditions for six months.
He is accused of revealing the identity of a protected witness in an article he wrote in 2008 for Reporter 92 magazine. However, Kezarovski simply uncovered a misuse of police authority in a murder case; the protected witness told a court that his testimony regarding the murder was false and was made under threats from the police. It is clear that Kezarovski acted in the public's best interest.
It is also notable that, prior to his arrest, Kezarovski was investigating the dubious death of Nikola Mladenov, a Macedonian publisher and editor of an independent media outlet.
Towards the end of October 2013, Kezarovski was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison. This verdict becomes legally binding by a final court decision within 60 days. On November 6 the court ruled that Kezarovski was transferred to in-house custody while waiting for the final verdict.
His case raises general concerns about the state of media freedom in Macedonia.