Many CSOs and individual citizens condemned, in a joint public statement, the threats against journalist Borjan Jovanovski and his family last Tuesday, April 21, 2015. Following is the full text of the statement:

Borjan Jovanovski (Published with persmission from Inbox7)

“We are appalled by last night’s threat against our colleague Borjan Jovanovski and his family. The anonymous delivery of a funerary wreath to his home is undoubtedly a cowardly act of intimidation and a morbid attempt to silence his voice of criticism; an attempt made by people whose perception is clouded by hatred and desire for skirmish with their opponents.

Every day, we are witnessing the constant attacks, labeling and threats against journalists, civil society activists, students, high school students, professors and all the citizens who disagree with the policies of this government. The verbal attacks are often accompanied by threats for physical confrontation with the opponents.

Last night’s act of intimidation of Borjan Jovanovski and his family shows that these threats can actually turn into physical violence, and even into a direct threat to the life of free-thinking citizens in this country.

Therefore, we are calling for an immediate termination of the smear campaign against the critics and opponents of this Government, and we are urging the relevant institutions to immediately find the intimidators and those who gave them the orders, and bring them to justice.

Today, in support of our colleague Jovanovski, and in support of the efforts for Macedonia to be a country where citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms are respected, we will gather in front of the Government building and express our indignation against this horrific threat and intimidation of freedom of thought in the country.”

The statement was endorsed by the following CSOs :

NGO Info-Centre, September 8^th, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Metamorphosis, Media Development Centre, CIVIL – Center for Freedom, Open Society Foundation-Macedonia, Centre for Contemporary Arts Skopje, FORUM-CSID, Freedom for Expression Front, OKNO, Macedonian Centre for European Education, LGBTI Support Centre, Coalition “Sexual and Health Rights of marginalized Communities”, Center for Strategies and Development PACTIS – Prilep, Biljana Bejkova, Vladimir Vangelov, Marjan Zabrčanec, Ines Efremova, Dragana Mitrović, Verica Mitrović, Damir Neziri, Emrah Rexhepi, Slavica Indževska, Filip Stojanovski, Kire Bebedžakov, Bardil Jasharri, Krste Džidrov, Eli Mančevska, Xhabir Derala, Katerina M. Hristovska, Biljana Jordanovska, Jasna Andonovska, Filip Jovanovski, Simona Spirovska, Damjan Zdravev, Ivana Vaseva, Žarko Trajanovski, Dimče Velev, Elena Simonoska, Viki Mladenova, Biljana Ginova, Sonja Ismail, Dželal Hodžić, Kristina Lelovac, Nikola Ristevski (Shindre), Dejan Georgievski, Nataša Boškovska, Vasko Lazarevski, Elizabeta Sekirarska, Gjorgje Jovanovikj, Nikola Gelevski, Violeta Gligoroska, Kiril Mickovski, Bojan Maričikj, Zizo Ljamkovski, Saša Velagikj, Zlatko Mitevski, Jasminka Golubovska, Viktor Aleksovski, Pavle Bogoevski, Dejan Ristov, Vladimir Hristovski, Kočo Andonovski, Elisaveta Bejkova, Marina Trajkova, Ana Čupeska.