Prague, May 2 (CTK) – Macedonian authorities have no information about the expulsion of two Czech citizens, the Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Michaela Lagronova told CTK on Monday about the case which Macedonian zurnal.net server reported on Sunday, referring to local authorities.
According to the server, the two men participated in the opposition’s protest events.
The server has not reacted to a request for a comment on the matter.
“The Macedonian Interior Ministry told our diplomatic mission that it has had no reports on the expulsion of Czech citizens in the past weeks,” Lagronova told CTK.
The ministry said two foreigners, citizens of Kosovo, were detained in Macedonia in the past days. They were released after their documents were checked.
Lagronova said the Macedonian border police registered two Czechs having left Macedonia without any problem on April 22.
The pro-government server zurnal.net, reporting on the case, refers to authorities and other similar servers even quoted unnamed police officers.
They released photos of the two Czechs’ passports. Two men, aged 25 and 24, were allegedly expelled from Macedonia for damaging property during violent anti-government protests in Skopje.
Lagronova said the Macedonian authorities do not know the origin of the information.
“According to the Interior Ministry, it is not clear where the web portal gained the information from,” Lagronova said.
Thousands of Macedonians protested against President Gjorge Ivanov’s decision to grant pardon to politicians entangled in a scandal with wiretappings in the past weeks.
The demonstrators called for Ivanov to resign, for the general election planned for June to be adjourned and for a caretaker government to be formed.
The crisis erupted in Macedonia after the opposition released a series of wiretappings proving election fraud organised by the top government circles.
According to Macedonian authorities, several police were wounded during the protests and the building of the presidential office, the seat of the culture ministry, military barracks and other buildings were damaged.
