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Macedonia: NGOs concerned about powers given to authorities
Worrying lack of control instruments to prevent abuses of authority. This is civil society's judgment of Macedonia's recently adopted investigations laws.
The Foundation Open Society Institute Macedonia, the Criminal Law and Criminology Association and the Helsinki Committee of Human Rights expressed their concerns over the newly adopted changes in the Law on Criminal Investigation Procedures and the Law on Communications Surveillance (all forms of wire-tapping and interception) without the proper public debate that could lead to a sensible balance of the fight against organized crime and the right to privacy.
“The new changes not only expand the opportunities for implementation of special investigative measures to cases not related to organized crime, but actually provides for their preventive application”, says the organizations adding that the changes are not in line with European and international human rights standards.
Metamorphosis Foundation adds that, from the point of view of development of information society, there is a worrying lack of control instruments that would prevent arbitrary abuses of authority.
“New technology allows for much greater influence and violation of privacy in an easy manner, for a growing number of users in Macedonia, so that the completion of the whole process in transparent and inclusive public consultations is of great importance”, says Metamorphosis in its reaction to the lack of proper public debate prior to the adoption of said legal changes.
The blogging community in Macedonia is also deeply concerned over the recent unexplained increase of the annual budget of state security services from 24 million to 1.5 billion Denars, as well as the wide authority that the new Law on Criminal Investigation Procedure gives to state authorities in he area of surveillance of communications.
“They increased the secret police budget 60 times without a word of explanation. Will they work 60 times more secret or will they follow 60 times more people, that is to be seen”, says the blogger signed as Vuna.
For a synthesis of information on this topic, visit the Volan blog and read the article on Metamorphosis web-site.
