Macedonian Ombudsman Naser Ziberi and the President of the Bar Association Ljubomir Mihajlovski today signed a memorandum of cooperation in order to improve the participation and protection of citizens before the police and other services in the initial phase, when actions are taken against them.
“In the police stations and other places of deprivation and detention we found situations where there are no updated lists of duty lawyers, and in some there are none at all. Police officers are not sufficiently informed about the right of persons deprived or detained, that they can seek the presence of a lawyer in their defense, as one of the segments to balance the relationship between those with special powers and persons under their influence,” informed the Ombudsman.
The President of the Bar Association Mihajlovski pointed out that the signing of the memorandum is in fact only a formalization of the activities and actions that will be taken by the lawyers and the Ombudsman.
Mihajlovski pointed out that at the moment the lawyers are not paid at all for the procedures before the Ministry of Interior and that they work pro bono, i.e. free of charge for that part of the procedure.