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| Smilkovci lake killings | |
|---|---|
| Part of 2012 Republic of Macedonia inter-ethnic violence | |
  Smilkovci lake killings | |
| Location | Smilkovci Lake, near the village of Smilkovci, Butel Municipality, Greater Skopje |
| Coordinates | 42°01′06″N 21°28′58″E / 42.018342°N 21.482713°E |
| Date | 12 April 2012 19:45[1] (UTC+1) |
| Target | Ethnic Macedonian civilians |
Attack type | Mass murder |
| Weapons | Automatic firearms |
| Deaths | 5 |
| Convictions | Agim Ismailovic (life) Afrim Ismailovic (life) Alil Demiri (life) Fejzi Aziri (15 years) Haki Aziri (9 years) |
The Smilkovci Lake killings (Macedonian: Убиствата кај Смилковско езеро) also called the Smilkovci Lake massacre (Macedonian: Масакрот кај Смилковско езеро) was the killing of five ethnic Macedonian civilians that took place on 12 April 2012.[2] They were shot and killed at a man-made lake near the village of Smilkovci, outside the Macedonian capital Skopje.[3]
According to the Macedonian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the attack was carried out with the intent to "incite fear and insecurity"[4] and the ministry called it a "deliberate terrorist act aimed at destabilizing the country".[3] The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights criticized the ministry for prematurely judging the suspects as guilty.[5]
On 30 June 2014, after an 18-month trial, Alil Demiri, Afrim Ismailoviq (also known as Afrim Ismaili), Agim Ismailoviq (also known as Agim Ismaili), Fejzi Aziri, Haki Aziri and Sami Luta were sentenced to life imprisonment.[6] Demiri and Ismailoviq were tried in absentia, since they were imprisoned in Kosovo for unlawful possession of weapons,[6][7] and extradition procedures were underway. One defendant, Rami Sejdi, was released for lack of evidence.[8][9]
On 1 December 2017, Macedonia's Supreme Court overturned the convictions and ordered a retrial over procedural errors.[10] In February 2021, the five men were once again found guilty and handed sentences ranging from nine years to life imprisonment.[11]
- ^ Kanal 5 - Code: The reconstruction of the killings (Macedonian)
- ^ "News - Latest breaking news available as free video on demand - Euronews". euronews.
- ^ a b Sinisa Jakov Marusic (3 May 2013). "Unsolved Killings Raise Fears of Macedonian Turmoil". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ "FOCUS Information Agency". Focus-fen.net. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Helsinkiwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Macedonian court sentences 6 men to life imprisonment for lakeside killings - Shanghai Daily". Shanghaidaily.com. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ^ "Miami Herald: Macedonian court jails 6 over Easter lake killings". Miamiherald.com.
- ^ "Skopje, six Albanians given life prison sentences". Balkaneu.com.
- ^ "Independent News for America - news and views from the US". Independent News for America. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- ^ "Wiretaps Could Change Course of Macedonia Murder Trial | Balkan Insight". 12 June 2018.
- ^ Marusic, Sinisa Jakov (23 February 2021). "North Macedonia Murder Retrial Convicts Ethnic Albanians of Terrorism". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
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