Kostovski v. North Macedonia: ECHR queries government over frozen assets in Eurostandard case
The European Court of Human Rights has asked official questions to North Macedonia after complaints that freezing orders kept the Kostovskis from accessing their property during the Eurostandard probe.
Trifun Kostovski and son Kosta take North Macedonia to Strasbourg over frozen assets in the Eurostandard case
European Court of Human Rights has sent official questions to the Government after the Kostovskis complained about repeated freezing of their property during the investigation into the collapse of Eurostandard.
The Strasbourg court announced that it has opened a first phase of examination after the application filed by Trifun Kostovski and his son Kosta. The family say different parts of their property — real estate, facilities, houses, land and vehicles — were frozen on three separate occasions, and that the Criminal Court in Skopje did not respond to their requests to unfreeze these assets. The application was submitted in 2023, while the underlying criminal probe was opened at the end of 2020.
Claims before Strasbourg and the domestic criminal case
"The applicants complain under Article 6 of the Convention that the domestic courts' failure to decide on their request to lift the freezing orders violated their right of access to a court. They further complain under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention that the continued validity of the freezing orders constitutes an unlawful and disproportionate interference with their property rights," the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg said in a statement.
At the same time that the application was pending in Strasbourg, prosecutors filed an indictment against Trifun Kostovski and two former Eurostandard directors on two counts: causing bankruptcy and negligent performance of duty. The indictment does not include money laundering charges — the reason previously given for the freezing of Kostovski's assets and which is noted in Strasbourg's initial decision.
The public prosecutor's office alleges that unsecured loans were issued and not repaid to Eurostandard, causing damage of €27 million. Trifun Kostovski has denied wrongdoing and insisted there is no confirmation of misuse of such a large sum. The domestic court has not yet examined the merits of the indictment, and authorities say there were unsuccessful attempts to serve the indictment on Kosta Kostovski.
Photo: press material from the event
