The signing of the Cooperation Agreement in the field of witness protection between the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Northern Macedonia and the International Criminal Court is a continuation of the act of support of the Court in the fight against the most serious forms of crime. Moreover, the Republic of Northern Macedonia signed the Rome Statute in 1998 and ratified it in 2002, establishing the International Criminal Court, whose role is focused on combating the most serious forms of crime - genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression.

This, among other things, was emphasized by the Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski during today's signing of the Agreement on Cooperation in the field of witness protection between the Ministry of Interior of the RSM and the ICC based in The Hague (Netherlands), represented by the Secretary of this international legal body Peter Luis, in the MPs' Club in Skopje.

The protection of the most vulnerable categories of persons, ie victims and witnesses who want to help in shedding light on crimes and bringing their perpetrators to justice, said Minister Spasovski, is a commitment of every democratic society. He added that the Ministry of Interior is actively involved in the global fight against these forms of crime, which pose a serious threat to humanity, security and integrity of people and communities.

As announced by the Ministry of Interior, this Agreement establishes a legal framework for cooperation between the competent authorities of the Ministry of Interior and the Secretariat of the ICC at the operational level, regarding the concretization of protection measures and security activities, through relocation of victims, witnesses and other persons. at risk due to the testimony given as part of the proceedings in the Court.

- The Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Northern Macedonia has established and practices international cooperation in the field of witness protection on the basis of agreements on police cooperation, cooperation agreements in the field of witness protection or on the basis of reciprocity. The police experience so far with the countries that have relocated persons on our territory is extremely positive, with consistent and maximum respect for the trust, professionalism and the established provisions of the concluded agreements. I am convinced that, with the signing of this Agreement, the International Criminal Court's Victims and Witnesses Unit will expand its co-operation with our Witness Protection Unit, recognize and apply these principles of co-operation in this extremely specific and sensitive area of ​​policing. operation, emphasized Minister Spasovski.

Source: MIA