The majority of complaints forwarded to the Ombudsman regarding the violation of citizens’ rights are in the area of the judiciary, Macedonian Ombudsman Fatmir Selami presented in the 2025 Annual Report to members of the Parliamentary Committee on Political System and Inter-Community Relations.
Selami pointed out that the majority of complaints in the area of the judiciary relate to non-compliance with legal deadlines, for which he has concluded in previous years and in 2025 that court proceedings last too long and that the efficiency of the proceedings is not taken into account.
“In addition, the parties do not receive timely notifications about the status of their cases. Regarding the work of bailiffs, the majority of citizens’ complaints are about the debiting of their accounts, as well as the amount of interest on the debt in question,” Selami said.
The Ombudsman pointed out to the MPs that the Ombudsman reviewed 2,921 cases last year, and of these, a total of 2,400 complaints were received and registered in the institution in 2025, and 521 cases were carried over from the previous year.
“Most of the complaints last year, 985 or over 40%, refer to the violation of rights by public services and institutions. Out of a total of 2,921 cases, the Ombudsman in this reporting year initiated 1,810 or 61.97% of complaints, and in 487 or 16.67%, no procedure was initiated. Out of 1,810 cases in which the Ombudsman initiated a procedure, in 492 or over 27% he found a violation of human rights and freedoms and acted to eliminate the violations. While in 1,318 complaints or 72.82% of the actions taken to fulfill the allegations in the complaints, no violation of human rights and freedoms was found, consequently the procedure was stopped,” said Selami.
