Skopje, 4 August 2025 (MIA) - Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski has condemned the xenophobic chants at the Macedonia-Romania basketball match in Kumanovo over the weekend, saying the Ministry is already proceeding upon the instructions of a public prosecutor and would take action in the coming days.

"I condemn these provocations and hate speech in the strongest possible terms. We are proceeding at the instruction of a public prosecutor and will take action in the coming days. This type of hate speech should not be subject of political abuse as was the case yesterday," Minister Toshkovski told Kanal 5.

According to him, the Ministry of Interior has shown on many occasions that it treats equally all those using hate speech.

"Let me highlight the events involving the burning of the Macedonian and Albanian flags, desecration of Serbian symbols and the Serbian consulate in Kumanovo. We treated all these events in the same way, we detained the culprits and charged them with inciting hate speech and interethnic intolerance. We have shown that the MoI can be an institution that equally responds to all cases of rights' abuse in our society," says Toshkovski.

He regrets that DUI leader Ali Ahmeti has linked the Kumanovo event with the coming local elections, adding that the Albanians have been suppressed after the party is in opposition.

"It is unfortunate to see such political abuse by a leader of a party that was in power for 20 years. I hope that less and less citizens will succumb to this political abuse of specific events, which should be absolutely condemned and be left in the past," says Toshkovski.

Yesterday, the Kumanovo Public Prosecutor's Office said it had issued orders and guidelines to the Kumanovo police to investigate chanting that involved hate speech by unknown individuals at the game. The police were also ordered to secure CCTV footage in order to identify the perpetrators.

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