Commission finds Skopje mayor discriminated by blocking resident on Facebook

The Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination found that Skopje Mayor Orce Gjorgievski blocked a resident from his official Facebook page after she posted a question about a local landfill — a move the body ruled discriminatory.

The woman posted a photo of the dumpsite in front of her building and asked: "Is it possible for that area to be included in the cleanup action, considering that the competent Municipality has not provided an appropriate solution for a long time?" She says Gjorgievski blocked her two to three minutes after the comment was posted.

The incident took place on 8 May 2026; the woman filed a complaint with the Commission on 11 May. After the Commission requested a response from Gjorgievski and he ignored that request, the body concluded there had been direct discrimination against the blocked resident on the basis of a different conviction in the field of public information and media.

Commission: the comment was public-interest speech and must not be censored

In her complaint the resident said the comment did not contain offensive language or hate speech but aimed to reveal an environmental problem that her municipal mayor had neglected. She also said being blocked on the official Facebook page prevented her from accessing information and following the mayor's activity.

Her full comment, posted alongside photos, read: "The cleanup initiative is wonderful. I see it says several municipalities will be covered. I hope ours will be included too. We have a long-standing problem with garbage in the neighbourhood… which has been reported several times, but the mayor does not respond. Attached are pictures of today's situation. How can we solve this problem? Can inspections check this neighbourhood more often because new residents constantly leave bulky waste on the pavements? Also, if the waste is already there, I believe it should be removed by the services. Where should such problems be reported aside from the Municipality?"

The Commission determined the comment was of public interest and falls within freedom of expression. "Holders of public office, when using official communication channels, have an obligation to respect the principles of equality, transparency, accountability and non-discrimination," the Commission said, adding that public officials may prevent abuses but must not discriminate against people for having a different position or opinion.

The Commission recommended that Mayor Orce Gjorgievski immediately restore the woman's access to his Facebook page, no later than 30 days from the day the Opinion was received, and inform the Commission of this. The decision warns that failure to comply will lead to a report to the competent court.

The Commission noted a similar finding in March 2026, when it established discrimination on the basis of political belief after the Municipality of Tetovo blocked architect Boško Vidoeski from its official Facebook page for a critical comment.

Photo: СДК.МК)