Ljube Boškoski
Encyclopedia
Ljube Boškoski (born 24 October 1960 in Čelopek
, Brvenica Municipality
, SR Macedonia
, now the Republic of Macedonia
), known among his supporters as "Brother Ljube" , is a Macedonian
politician and former Minister of Internal Affairs
of the Republic of Macedonia.
He supervised an elite special operations
tactical unit of the Macedonian police
in his capacity as Minister of Internal Affairs. Boškoski would later be accused of "superior responsibility" by the ICTY for alleged war crime
s, but was acquitted of all charges. Upon his return to Macedonia, Boškoski and his backers split from VMRO–DPMNE to form United for Macedonia
which was considered a serious contender in the 2011 parliamentary election
, but did not win any seats in the parliament.
Currently he is in detention awaiting trial on charges for abuse of office and illegal funding of the 2011 election campaign of his party - United for Macedonia.
, Brvenica municipality
, on the outskirts of Tetovo
in what is now the Republic of Macedonia
. In 1985, he graduated from the Faculty of Law at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje
, thereafter working as an apprentice in a court
and later as a legal adviser
for a health insurance fund in Rovinj
, Croatia
.
(UTC+1
GMT
), six Pakistan
i citizens and an India
n citizen were shot dead in Raštanski Lozja near the village of Ljuboten
, close to the Macedonian border with Kosovo
. It was alleged that the men were armed. They were shot by the Lions, an elite special operations
tactical unit formed after the 2001 Macedonia conflict
in order to aid against acts of terrorism
and for emergency deployment in rural combat areas.
Macedonian officials were accused of killing the men as an act of further enhancing their status in the War on Terror
which the Macedonian government supports. It was alleged that the men were killed "to impress the US". The Macedonian police spokeswoman Mirjana Konteska said the killings were "an act of a sick mind" and that they had "lost their lives in a staged murder."
Boškoski made a statement suggesting that the men were associated with a terrorist group and had planned an attack on the British
, American
and German
embassies in the Macedonian capital of Skopje
.
A number of inconsistencies in the initial official version were pointed out. The Guardian wrote:
in August, 2004, after he was stripped of parliamentary immunity by Macedonia
. In December of that year, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) published an indictment against him and Johan Tarčulovski.
In March, 2005, he was transferred to the ICTY in The Hague
. Boškoski and Tarčulovski were charged with violations of the laws or customs of war during the 2001 Macedonia conflict
— a "civil war" between ethnic Albanian
members of the NLA
and the Macedonian
security forces such as the Wolves
in 2001, during which, Boškoski was Minister of Internal Affairs.
According to the indictment, between Friday 10 August 2001, and Sunday 12 August 2001, a land offensive was launched by Macedonian security forces
against ethnic Albanian civilians and property in Ljuboten
, a predominantly Albanian village.
According to the tribunal, Boškoski, in his capacity as Minister of the Interior, "had de jure and de facto command and control over the members of the police forces which took part in the alleged crimes." The tribunal also claims that "Boškoski knew or had reason to know that the crimes alleged in this indictment had been committed by his subordinates."
The ICTY trial against Boškoski started on 16 April 2007, and ended on 10 July 2008, he was acquitted of all charges against him. However, Tarčulovski received 12 years imprisonment.
When Boškoski arrived at Skopje Alexander the Great Airport on 11 July 2008, he symbolically kissed the ground and was welcomed by women in traditional Macedonian clothes. With tears in his eyes, he held a short speech in which he called for brotherhood among the people living in the Republic of Macedonia. Later that day, he appeared at Pella Square
in Skopje
and was welcomed by Macedonians who travelled from all over the country to the capital city.
of the Macedonian government.
On 31 January 2001, he was named state secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and on May 15, of the same year, appointed Minister of Internal Affairs by the ruling government. Following the parliamentary elections of 5 September 2002, he was dismissed from his position as Minister of Internal Affairs and became a Member of Parliament
.
In April, 2004, Boškoski nominated to run in the presidential elections and had previously collected 10,000 signatures as is required of potential candidates. The State Electoral Commission invalidated his candidacy as he had not fulfilled the requirement that all presidential candidates live in the country for 15 consecutive years prior to nomination.
Boškoski as a candidate took part in the 2009 Macedonian presidential election
and ended up fourth out of seven candidates with 145,638 votes (14.87% out of total votes).
In May 2009, Boškoski formed a political party with the name "United for Macedonia".
In June 2009, Boškoski found himself on the black list of the Office of Foreign Assets Control
of the United States
. The list contained the names of eleven Macedonian citizens. Boškoski, as the only ethnic Macedonian
on the list, was accompanied by 10 ethnic Albanians.
, on which United for Macedonia did not win any parliamentary seats, Mr. Boškoski was arrested by the police on suspicions of using illegal funding for his party's campaign. During the arrest, the police alleges that he had 100.000 Euro in cash, received in an illegal way, intended for financing of the campaign. According to the police, Mr. Boškoski had been followed by them on a court order for two months prior to the arrest, and had received additional 30.000 Euro of illegal funds during this period.
The next day, Mr. Boškoski was brought in front of a judge, who ordered his 30-day detention, pending trial on charges for abuse of office and illegal financing of a political party. Supporters of Mr. Boškoski deny the charges and claim that his arrest is politically motivated by his political opponents.
Celopek
Čelopek is a village in Republic of Macedonia. It is a part of the Brvenica municipality.-Notable citizens:*Ljube Boškoski - former Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia*Nastoski Gavro-member of MRO and courier of Pitu Guli's guard...
, Brvenica Municipality
Brvenica municipality
Brvenica is a municipality in northwestern Republic of Macedonia. Brvenica is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found...
, SR Macedonia
Socialist Republic of Macedonia
The Socialist Republic of Macedonia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
, now the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
), known among his supporters as "Brother Ljube" , is a Macedonian
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
politician and former Minister of Internal Affairs
Interior minister
An interior ministry is a government ministry typically responsible for policing, national security, and immigration matters. The ministry is often headed by a minister of the interior or minister of home affairs...
of the Republic of Macedonia.
He supervised an elite special operations
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
tactical unit of the Macedonian police
Law enforcement in the Republic of Macedonia
Law enforcement in the Republic of Macedonia is the responsibility of the Police of the Republic of Macedonia, a force that has been the subject of a number of recent reforms regarding both the Albanian insurgency, and possible violations of human rights, with NATO officials stating that the force...
in his capacity as Minister of Internal Affairs. Boškoski would later be accused of "superior responsibility" by the ICTY for alleged war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s, but was acquitted of all charges. Upon his return to Macedonia, Boškoski and his backers split from VMRO–DPMNE to form United for Macedonia
United for Macedonia
United for Macedonia is a political party in the Republic of Macedonia. It has been founded by Ljube Boškoski, a former interior minister and former member of conservative VMRO-DPMNE, who is the leader of the party.-History:After having been acquitted of all charges against him at the...
which was considered a serious contender in the 2011 parliamentary election
Macedonian parliamentary election, 2011
An early parliamentary election was held in the Republic of Macedonia on 5 June 2011, a year earlier than necessary. All 123 parliamentary seats of the Sobranie were due for election, including the 3 seats provided for the first time for representatives of the Macedonian citizens living abroad: 1...
, but did not win any seats in the parliament.
Currently he is in detention awaiting trial on charges for abuse of office and illegal funding of the 2011 election campaign of his party - United for Macedonia.
Biography
Boškoski was born on 24 October 1960, in the village of ČelopekCelopek
Čelopek is a village in Republic of Macedonia. It is a part of the Brvenica municipality.-Notable citizens:*Ljube Boškoski - former Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia*Nastoski Gavro-member of MRO and courier of Pitu Guli's guard...
, Brvenica municipality
Brvenica municipality
Brvenica is a municipality in northwestern Republic of Macedonia. Brvenica is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found...
, on the outskirts of Tetovo
Tetovo
Tetovo is a city in the northwestern part of Macedonia, built on the foothills of Šar Mountain and divided by the Pena River.The city covers an area of at above sea level, with a population of 86,580 citizens in the municipality. Tetovo is home to the State University of Tetovo and South East...
in what is now the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. In 1985, he graduated from the Faculty of Law at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, thereafter working as an apprentice in a court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
and later as a legal adviser
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
for a health insurance fund in Rovinj
Rovinj
Rovinj is a city in Croatia situated on the north Adriatic Sea with a population of 13,562 . It is located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula and is a popular tourist resort and an active fishing port...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
.
Raštanski Lozja incident
On 2 March 2002, at approximately 4:00 a.m. local timeCentral European Time
Central European Time , used in most parts of the European Union, is a standard time that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time . The time offset from UTC can be written as +01:00...
(UTC+1
UTC+1
UTC+01:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +01:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .This time is used in:*Central European Time*West Africa Time*Western European Summer Time**British Summer Time**Irish Standard Time...
GMT
Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...
), six Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i citizens and an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n citizen were shot dead in Raštanski Lozja near the village of Ljuboten
Ljuboten
Ljuboten is a peak of the Šar Mountains located at the border between Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia. Its height is .-Information:Ljuboten peak although not being the highest peak of the range, is certainly the most attractive and bewildering peak of the Sar Mountains. It is somewhat...
, close to the Macedonian border with Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. It was alleged that the men were armed. They were shot by the Lions, an elite special operations
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
tactical unit formed after the 2001 Macedonia conflict
2001 Macedonia conflict
The insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia was an armed conflict which began when the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army militant group attacked the security forces of the Republic of Macedonia at the beginning of January 2001...
in order to aid against acts of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
and for emergency deployment in rural combat areas.
Macedonian officials were accused of killing the men as an act of further enhancing their status in the War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
which the Macedonian government supports. It was alleged that the men were killed "to impress the US". The Macedonian police spokeswoman Mirjana Konteska said the killings were "an act of a sick mind" and that they had "lost their lives in a staged murder."
Boškoski made a statement suggesting that the men were associated with a terrorist group and had planned an attack on the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
embassies in the Macedonian capital of Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
.
A number of inconsistencies in the initial official version were pointed out. The Guardian wrote:
There were inconsistencies in the story from the start. The police originally said they had been ambushed, but could not explain why seven heavily armed terrorists were killed, while the police received no injuries. They then changed their version of events to say that they had ambushed the terrorists to prevent them attacking the American embassy. But the inquiry found otherwise. The men were shot dead in cold blood. To cover their tracks, the police placed bags filled with guns and uniforms next to the bodies.
Trial and aftermath
Boškoski was detained in CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
in August, 2004, after he was stripped of parliamentary immunity by Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. In December of that year, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) published an indictment against him and Johan Tarčulovski.
In March, 2005, he was transferred to the ICTY in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. Boškoski and Tarčulovski were charged with violations of the laws or customs of war during the 2001 Macedonia conflict
2001 Macedonia conflict
The insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia was an armed conflict which began when the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army militant group attacked the security forces of the Republic of Macedonia at the beginning of January 2001...
— a "civil war" between ethnic Albanian
Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia
Albanians are the largest ethnic minority in the Republic of Macedonia. Of the 2,022,547 citizens of Macedonia, 509,083, or 25%, are Albanian according to the latest national census in 2002. The Albanian minority lives mostly in the north-western part of the country...
members of the NLA
National Liberation Army (Macedonia)
The National Liberation Army , also known as the Macedonian UÇK, was a militant organization that operated in the Republic of Macedonia in 2001 and was closely associated with the Kosovo Liberation Army ....
and the Macedonian
Macedonians (ethnic group)
The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
security forces such as the Wolves
Wolves (military)
The Wolves are a special forces branch of the military of the Republic of Macedonia. The Wolves were the primary military force which engaged Albanian militias in the 2001 insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia. The "Wolves" also contributed to coalition forces serving during Operation Iraqi...
in 2001, during which, Boškoski was Minister of Internal Affairs.
According to the indictment, between Friday 10 August 2001, and Sunday 12 August 2001, a land offensive was launched by Macedonian security forces
Military of the Republic of Macedonia
The Army of the Republic of Macedonia is the name of the unified armed forces of the Republic of Macedonia. The Macedonian military is a defence force consisting of an army ; an air force ; and a professional military unit, the Macedonian Special Forces .- Objectives :The national defence...
against ethnic Albanian civilians and property in Ljuboten
Ljuboten
Ljuboten is a peak of the Šar Mountains located at the border between Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia. Its height is .-Information:Ljuboten peak although not being the highest peak of the range, is certainly the most attractive and bewildering peak of the Sar Mountains. It is somewhat...
, a predominantly Albanian village.
The ICTY trial against Boškoski started on 16 April 2007, and ended on 10 July 2008, he was acquitted of all charges against him. However, Tarčulovski received 12 years imprisonment.
When Boškoski arrived at Skopje Alexander the Great Airport on 11 July 2008, he symbolically kissed the ground and was welcomed by women in traditional Macedonian clothes. With tears in his eyes, he held a short speech in which he called for brotherhood among the people living in the Republic of Macedonia. Later that day, he appeared at Pella Square
Pella Square
The Pella Square is one of the main squares of Skopje, the capital city of the Republic of Macedonia....
in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
and was welcomed by Macedonians who travelled from all over the country to the capital city.
Political career
After the parliamentary elections in 1998 and the success of VMRO-DPMNE, Boškoski was named deputy-director of the Administration for Security and Counter-Intelligence — the domestic intelligence agencyIntelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...
of the Macedonian government.
On 31 January 2001, he was named state secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and on May 15, of the same year, appointed Minister of Internal Affairs by the ruling government. Following the parliamentary elections of 5 September 2002, he was dismissed from his position as Minister of Internal Affairs and became a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
In April, 2004, Boškoski nominated to run in the presidential elections and had previously collected 10,000 signatures as is required of potential candidates. The State Electoral Commission invalidated his candidacy as he had not fulfilled the requirement that all presidential candidates live in the country for 15 consecutive years prior to nomination.
Boškoski as a candidate took part in the 2009 Macedonian presidential election
Macedonian presidential election, 2009
A presidential election was held in the Republic of Macedonia on 22 March 2009, at the same time as local elections; a run-off round was held on 5 April 2009. Gjorge Ivanov , the candidate of the center-right VMRO–DPMNE party, won the election in the second round...
and ended up fourth out of seven candidates with 145,638 votes (14.87% out of total votes).
In May 2009, Boškoski formed a political party with the name "United for Macedonia".
In June 2009, Boškoski found himself on the black list of the Office of Foreign Assets Control
Office of Foreign Assets Control
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is an agency of the United States Department of the Treasury under the auspices of the Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. OFAC administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on U.S...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The list contained the names of eleven Macedonian citizens. Boškoski, as the only ethnic Macedonian
Macedonians (ethnic group)
The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
on the list, was accompanied by 10 ethnic Albanians.
Illegal party funding charges
On 06.06.2011, one day after the 2011 electionMacedonian parliamentary election, 2011
An early parliamentary election was held in the Republic of Macedonia on 5 June 2011, a year earlier than necessary. All 123 parliamentary seats of the Sobranie were due for election, including the 3 seats provided for the first time for representatives of the Macedonian citizens living abroad: 1...
, on which United for Macedonia did not win any parliamentary seats, Mr. Boškoski was arrested by the police on suspicions of using illegal funding for his party's campaign. During the arrest, the police alleges that he had 100.000 Euro in cash, received in an illegal way, intended for financing of the campaign. According to the police, Mr. Boškoski had been followed by them on a court order for two months prior to the arrest, and had received additional 30.000 Euro of illegal funds during this period.
The next day, Mr. Boškoski was brought in front of a judge, who ordered his 30-day detention, pending trial on charges for abuse of office and illegal financing of a political party. Supporters of Mr. Boškoski deny the charges and claim that his arrest is politically motivated by his political opponents.