From: Genc Sefa-Lushnja
To:
The United Nations (UN),
Amnesty International,
Human Rights Watch,
The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights,
The European Parliament, and
The Council of Europe.

Subject:

Denunciation of Grave Human Rights Violations and the Use of State Terror by the Authorities of North Macedonia Against Political Prisoners and Their Families…
Genci Sefa,
Esat Kafexholli,
Sulejman Osmani,
Fejzulla Rushiti, and
Demë Shehu.

Dear Representatives of International Organizations,

We, the political prisoners known as the “Kumanovo Group,” currently serving sentences in Idrizovo Prison in North Macedonia, feel a moral and legal obligation to denounce before you an act of barbaric and flagrant state violence, which constitutes a severe violation of all international human rights standards.

On April 25, 2025, during a regular family visit in the premises of Idrizovo Prison—permitted twice a month under internal regulations—the Rapid Intervention Forces of North Macedonia, heavily armed, violently intervened in the visitation hall without any prior warning or legal justification.

In the presence of over 30 family members, including pregnant women, minors, and elderly individuals, the police authorities exercised psychological terror and physical violence, subduing everyone under the threat of firearms.

In particular, our fellow inmate Demë Shehu was brutally assaulted and forcibly removed in front of his children, with no information provided on his physical condition or whereabouts to this moment.

This brutal act constitutes a grave violation of the European Convention on Human Rights (Articles 3, 5, and 8), which prohibit inhuman and degrading treatment, arbitrary detention, and infringement on private and family life.

This assault also represents the excessive and unlawful use of force against civilians, for which North Macedonia must be held accountable under international legal standards.

We emphasize that:

The violations were premeditated and systematic, exceeding the nature of an isolated incident.

Our family members, including children and the elderly, are currently suffering from psychological trauma and severe health consequences.

Our requests for medical assistance were deliberately denied.

The prison authorities have not provided any official explanation for this violent and unjustified intervention to date.

In this context, we strongly demand:

An independent and impartial international investigation into the events of April 25, 2025, at Idrizovo Prison.

Criminal and disciplinary prosecution of all responsible authorities for this act of state terrorism.

Urgent protective measures for prisoners and their families.

Intervention by international organizations to monitor the treatment of political prisoners in North Macedonia.

Diplomatic sanctions against Macedonian authorities if evidence confirms systematic human rights violations.

We are living witnesses of a system that uses repression and terror to silence political dissent.
We refuse to submit and demand justice!

On behalf of the “Kumanovo Group”:
Idrizovo Prison, North Macedonia
April 26, 2025