Uranija Pirovska, Executive Director of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in the Republic of Macedonia, can be said to be well informed about the situation in the Macedonian prisons as well as to shock the human rights of the convicts in those institutions.
As a general problem, Pirovska mentions the reduction of overcrowding in prisons, openness and free access to the facilities of penitentiaries.
As for corruption and bribery, the interlocutor himself says that he is well acquainted with the phenomenon, and according to the statements of the convicts themselves, bribery and corruption are present in these institutions, but none of them has filed such a report so far, but only from personal statements and experiences.
In that context, the convicts from the Roma community, who by the way are very often the target of discrimination and pressure from both the convicts themselves and the officials, were not changed.
Among other things, Pirovska notes: "Roma convicts in prisons are discriminated against in the same way as in the state system."
convicts must not be left on the margins of society. "Political will is needed to do more for this population," she said, adding that serious, timely and appropriate investigation of any indication of inhumane treatment, inhuman treatment and torture was needed;
According to the report, she said, overcrowding and recidivism are mostly due to the fact that convicts are neither able to work nor attend education. Pirovska clarifies that the accommodation of the prisoners is not taken into account, ie that accommodation is needed according to the criminal acts.
"Overcrowding could happen to us for the simple reason that we are still witnessing that courts rarely decide to apply alternative measures. We have been noticing that for the last eight years, "Pirovska said.
