Stojna Dimitrovska detained again over ticketing at Kameni Kukli
Dimitrovska was detained after a complaint that she tried to collect entry fees and threatened two visitors; police say a formal charge will follow.
Stojna Dimitrovska, 41, was detained again after police say she tried to charge admission fees to visitors at the Kameni Kukli site and threatened two tourists from Skopje.
On 27 October at 11:30, officers from the Kratovo Police Department (OVR Kratovo) took Dimitrovska into custody following a complaint filed by R.P. and J.B., both from Skopje. According to the complaint, she attempted to collect tickets for entry to the natural site and subsequently threatened the two visitors. Police announced that, after the case is fully documented, an appropriate charge will be filed against her.
Repeated incidents and official reactions
The dispute over access and charging at Kameni Kukli has persisted for years. Municipality officials in Kratovo have previously stated that parts of the site were being occupied without legal right, and attempts to resolve who may control or charge for access have continued.
This is not the first time Dimitrovska has been detained in connection with collecting fees at the site. In July of this year her husband, a British national, was detained after an incident with tax inspectors; authorities reported he threw stones at inspectors from the Public Revenue Office (UJP). At that time, Dimitrovska already faced a court order banning her from approaching the site.
Earlier in August she was again detained; the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Kumanovo requested pretrial detention and the court granted it. Prosecutors said she had continued to collect fees without legal authority and that, during that incident, she physically attacked police officers who tried to identify and detain her.
Located near the village of Kuklica close to Kratovo, the Kameni Kukli rock formations are a rare natural phenomenon and one of the better-known tourist attractions in the eastern part of the country. Unresolved disputes over access and ticketing have overshadowed the site's tourism potential.
Photo: Tashkoskim / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
