Eurasia Press & News
Four prison guards from Skopje’s prison, recently suspended for brutality against convicts, claim they have been framed.
The four allegedly tied several convicts to radiators and showers on March 16, beating them brutally.
They were suspended and are now charged with use of undue force after several domestic and international rights groups complained to the state ombudsman.
One of the guards says that the case against them has a background to it, which will only be revealed in court.
He claims they only reacted after a gang of five prisoners started harassing other inmates. They deny using excessive force but admit tying inmates to radiators after they received an order to do so.
“More than 160 convicts have begun a hunger-strike seeking our return and the prison management also want us back,” one of the guards told local daily Utrinski Vesnik.
“The prisoners know only we can protect them against this gang, which is constantly harassing them” the suspended guard added. He said the police often discovered makeshift knifes and other weapon among the gang members.
Macedonia’s prisons have been under the spotlight of EU institutions for several years. They are widely assessed as understaffed and short of space.
