North Macedonia Ombudsman in Üsküp Prison: Allegations of Police Violence from Prisoners

The Ombudsman of North Macedonia, Faton Seljami, conducted a visit to the Üsküp Prison located in the Şuto Orizari (commonly known as Shutka) neighborhood of the capital, Üsküp. The main purpose of this visit was to investigate on-site the allegations of police violence and use of force directed by the prisoners in the facility. During his visit, Seljami met with the senior management of the prison to gather information regarding the details of the incidents. Additionally, he listened directly to the complaints of the prisoners who claimed to be victims by meeting with them face-to-face. This visit has reignited public debates in the country regarding prison conditions and the use of authority by security forces.

The Civil Oversight Mechanism team also accompanied Ombudsman Faton Seljami during this inspection activity. The delegation held a detailed meeting with the prison director Boban Utkovski and deputy director Baki Mustafa. The main agenda of this critical meeting was a large-scale cell search conducted a day prior by the Intervention Unit (Special Operations) personnel affiliated with the prison police. The delegation extensively questioned the management about how the search operation was conducted, which procedures were followed during the operation, and the chain of command. Official information obtained from the management was compared with the prisoners' complaints to understand the dimensions of the incident. The focal point of the incident is the alleged harsh attitude displayed by the prison security units during the cell search. The Ombudsman and his team took statements from the prisoners who were directly subjected to the search. During the interviews, whether legal procedures were followed during the search operations or whether disproportionate force was used was investigated with great meticulousness. The prisoners claimed that the Intervention Unit personnel exceeded their authority while performing their duties and subjected them to physical violence. Authorities felt the need to initiate an official investigation process in order to monitor such allegations and prevent human rights violations. This unannounced visit by the public inspectors to the prison brings up concerns regarding transparency in the judiciary and penal execution system in North Macedonia. In an official statement from the Ombudsman's office, it was emphasized that the Civil Oversight Mechanism team continues to investigate the issue in depth. It was stated that the collected evidence and statements would be reported in the next stage, and additional statements informing the public would be made regarding the process. In the event that the incident is clarified and the allegations of violence are verified, the application of administrative or judicial sanctions against the relevant police officers is on the agenda. This situation has also opened up the issue of the accountability of security forces across the country to debate. North Macedonia prisons, where this incident took place, have frequently come to the forefront in recent years in terms of capacity and prisoner rights. Although the population density of prisons across the country remains at a moderate level compared to European standards, it is known that North Macedonia ranks high in Europe in terms of the length of prison sentences served by its prisoners. Such allegations of police violence carry the potential to further increase the psychological and physical tension in prisons, considering the prisoner population serving long-term prison sentences. Authorities believe that prison search protocols need to be reassessed to prevent the recurrence of similar violence cases. The active intervention of the Ombudsman is considered a critical step taken towards correcting potential flaws in the system.