Mitko Çavkov claims political interference in North Macedonia’s 27 April trial

Mitko Çavkov, a former director of the Public Security Bureau and former interior minister of North Macedonia, says the 2017 “27 April” trial was politically contaminated. He argues that a full, unbiased legal review is needed to determine responsibility for the events tied to the country’s constitutional name change.

Convicted of “terrorist threat to constitutional order and state security” and sentenced to 16 years in prison, Çavkov received a conditional release decision from the Penal Council of the Skopje Basic Court, setting his release for 4 May 2026. He warned that politicised narratives risk obscuring historic events and undermining public trust in institutions.

Çavkov’s statements call for transparent procedures and a clear determination of any culpability, stressing that unresolved issues affect both the past and the future of the Republic of North Macedonia.