Skopje, 16 February 2023 (MIA) — President Stevo Pendarovski has welcomed the decision of European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to reject a case against the Republic of North Macedonia.

Following the announcement that the ECHR rejected as inadmissible the case of Taleski and Others v. North Macedonia, the presidential office issued a press release saying “the President reviewed the decision with his advisors and believes that those involved in the proceedings should continue exercising their rights before national courts,” in line with the Strasbourg court’s ruling. 

“All proceedings before the domestic courts continue until their final completion, that is, until all legal means are exhausted in accordance with our country’s laws,” the release adds.

According to an ECHR press release published earlier on Thursday, “many of the applicants were members of the governing party (VMRO-DPMNE) at the time of the events in question, and they all held prominent public positions, including Prime Minister, Government ministers and mayors.

"They are on trial for alleged crimes related to and arising from the content of unlawful, widespread wiretapping. They received presidential pardons which were later annulled. Following the annulments they were tried, which is the matter of this case.

"The Court held that the applicants had failed to exhaust domestic remedies.”

The applicants’ complaint was about the 2016 annulment of former President Gjorgje Ivanov’s pardons given to 56 people suspected and convicted in cases led by the Special Public Prosecutor's Office, including former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, former Transport Minister Mile Janakieski, former Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska, former Administration for Security and Counterintelligence head Sasho Mijalkov and other state officials at the time. mr/