Helsinki Committee - Draft-law On Police Contradicts International Standards

[Ptolemy]

MILS NEWS Skopje June 20, 2006

HELSINKI COMMITTEE - DRAFT-LAW ON POLICE CONTRADICTS INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS


"The draft on police does not conform to international standards", the Helsinki
Committee of Macedonia (HC) said. A1 TV says the HC had suggested the Parliament
not to endorse the law in its original form. It demanded that the draft was
changed by a special parliamentary commission instead of the Interior Ministry.
"Draft-law on police does not comply with the minimal standards on organization
and activities of modern police which need to protect human rights and freedoms
and serve a democratic society with an established rule of law", the HC said.
Newspaper "Shpic" says the HC's President Mirjana Najcevska claimed the UN's
MINOP group and Police Academy - Skopje representatives had tabled remarks on
the draft. The main ones refer to the draft's lack of sanctions on police
officers for misconduct. The draft envisages disciplinarian sanctions - salary
cuts, for police officers for committing a crime for which ordinary citizens are
held accountable by the Criminal Law. "Contrary to the clearly defined
international regulations on establishing an effective and independent procedure
on submitting complaint against police's misconduct, the draft empowers the
police to run the procedure on misconduct, thereby making it the sole organ that
can launch investigation into its own work, "Najcevska told "Shpic".
Moreover, the HC's report pans the Macedonian authorities for Khaled el Masri's
case. "Despite being legally bind to conduct a full-scale investigation into el
Masri's case, the Macedonian authority failed to act in accordance to the rules
of a democratic society, most likely because of their affiliation to certain
political parties. This kind of conduct has inflicted considerable harm upon the
state, subjecting it to mockery and raising its guilt in the case", the HC said.

http://www.greekhelsinki.gr

[Ptolemy]

MILS NEWS Skopje August 29, 2006

HELSINKI COMMITTEE ACCUSES THE STATE OF FAILING TO PROTECT CHILDREN'S RIGHTS


The best part of the state and public administration employees that come in
contact with children lack elementary knowledge and understanding of the
regulations included in the Children's Right Convention, the Helsinki Committee
of Macedonia said in its August report.

The Macedonian Radio said the Committee had concluded that public administration
employees had failed to respect the minimal standards defined in the Convention
when coming into contact with children. Moreover, the Committee claimed that the
current law lacked regulation that would provide children with their full
rights. "The disrespect for the children's rights in Macedonia is not sanctioned
accordingly. The media has extremely controversial role in discovering cases of
violation of children's rights. Despite having important role in discovering
case volition of children's rights, they often violated their rights in the
process", the Committee said.

The most warring fact is the lack of state action against NGOs that had
neglected children's rights. Therefore, the Committee calls on the new
Government to undertake everything in its power to protect the children's rights
guaranteed by the Children's Rights Convention and by other international
agreements and domestic laws. The Committee reminded that the country had
ratified this Convention and in 2005 adopted a national strategy on children's
rights that applies to the period between 2006 and 2015.