The ruling VLEN expresses deep concern regarding the case of two young residents of Saraj who reported being subjected to police violence.
“We sincerely sympathize with them and their families, share their distress, and emphasize that every citizen has the right to dignified treatment, protection, and justice,” the party said Saturday.
As a Macedonian-Albanian political party that is part of the Government, VLEN says it has taken an active interest in the case from the very beginning and is closely monitoring all developments.
“Our position is unequivocal: a police uniform must not be a justification for violence, nor may the powers associated with it be abused. Any exceeding of official authority and any violation of the law must entail appropriate accountability,” the party’s press release reads.
If the investigation determines that police officers acted beyond their legal authority, they must be held accountable in line with the law, the ruling VLEN party asserts.
The party welcomes the fact that the competent internal control mechanisms are already handling the case. It also calls for the Public Prosecutor’s Office to address the matter. The ruling party accused the opposition parties DUI and the Alliance for Albanians of attempting to give the case a strictly ethnic dimension in order to incite ethnic tensions. In fact, the police officers were of three different ethnicities, VLEN adds.