What happened:According to information reported by the media, on 02.12.2024 at 21:25, another group in the center of Kumanovo physically attacked a group of high school students waiting for school transportation. According to unofficial information, a group of people with masks on their heads, who had previously verbally provoked the students, attacked them at the bus stop near Serava. According to information from the media portal Kumanovski Muabeti, they used boxers in the fight, injuring the student who then sought medical attention in the hospital. Unofficially and according to the media report, this is an incident with an interethnic character, but so far, none of the institutions has confirmed this.
The attack happened in the aftermath of the incident with the Macedonian flag being burned during the celebration of the Day of the Albanian flag on November 28, 2024 and December 2, 2024. In those incidents, four perpetrators are charged with Causing national, racial or religious hate, discord and intolerance (Article 319 of the Criminal Code).
The daily bulletin of the Ministry of Interior stated, “On 02.12.2024 at 21.25 at the Kumanovo Police Station, T.A. (43) from Kumanovo reported that on the “Third Macedonian Assault Brigade” boulevard in Kumanovo, his minor son and his friends were physically attacked by several people, who also used hard objects, informs the Sector of Interior.” A few days later, on 05.12.2024, news was published about five minors who were detained on suspicion of physically attacking another group of minors in Kumanovo.
MHC requested that the Kumanovo Police Station inform us on the motive of the incident. We asked whether there are any bias indicators such as the ethnicity of the perpetrators/victims, which would indicate that the incident was in fact bias motivated. There is no information by the Kumanovo PS yet.
Brief description of the incident with bias indicators:In this incident, the bias motive is the ethnic origin, with the bias indicators being:
- Ethnicity – the perpetrators are of different ethnicity
- Time – in the aftermath of the incident with the Macedonian flag being burned during the celebration of the Day of the Albanian flag on November 28, 2024 and December 2, 2024
Impact on the victims and the community: These types of incidents call into question the general safety in the country and the cohabitation among the different ethnic groups in society.
