Ministry of Interior prepares criminal complaint against police officer after Saraj beating

The Ministry of Interior is preparing a criminal complaint that will include at least one police officer after two young men from the Saraj municipality were beaten by police, the ministry announced. The two victims are to be summoned to a police station this afternoon to identify members of the police team involved; the complaint is to be submitted to the Prosecutor's Office within 24 hours.

A video of the incident that spread on social media shows violence consistent with the victims' account: they say they were taken out of their vehicle, handcuffed and then beaten by officers.

Officials say the intervention was carried out by a mixed-ethnicity police team. The primary suspect is an officer of Albanian background and the two victims are also Albanian, leading investigators to conclude that ethnic motive is unlikely. Police reportedly acted on a tip about a drug transport from Tetovo to Skopje.

VREDI issued a statement expressing concern over excessive use of force and urging accountability if guilt is established. The party also criticized what it described as an attempt by DUI to portray the case as having an ethnic background.

"We expect a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation, which will clarify all the circumstances and give clear answers about the conduct of the involved officers. At the same time, we call on the Prosecutor's Office, based on the established facts and collected evidence, to take all necessary measures within its competencies. It is particularly worrying that the opposition is trying to give such a serious case an ethnic dimension and use it to provoke inter-ethnic tensions. The two young men and their families deserve truth and justice," said VREDI.

The arrest and beating were not listed in the police bulletin, so exact time and location have not been publicly released. According to DUI, an internal police report states the youths took a policeman's gun; the young men counter that the gun fell into their car after officers broke the window. The Interior's internal control department opened an investigation one day after the incident.

Photo: press material from the event