Macedonia Court To Rule on Gruevski's Detention

Former Macedonian Prime Minister Gruevski and several other former ministers from his former ruling VMRO DPMNE party told Friday's hearing in the Appeals Court that they have no intention of fleeing and reject the charges of election rigging pressed by the country's Special Prosecution, SJO.

"I came here to answer all of their [SJO] lies that they have proliferated during the past period and to tell them that I plan to win the next election as a political party leader and bring VMRO DPMNE back to power, not to run from the country," Gruevski told the hearing.

The hearing confronted the defendants with the SJO, which contested the lower-level Skopje Criminal Court's decision not to arrest Gruevski and his close associates, former Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska, former Transport Minister Mile Janakieski, former government Secretary General Kiril Bozinovski and Gruevski's cabinet chief, Martin Protugjer.

In June, the SJO filed charges against Gruevski and his associates in a case codenamed "Titanic", for allegedly masterminding electoral fraud in 2013.

Gruevski is charged on three accounts in the case: criminal association; misuse of assets during an election campaign; and violation of the freedom of voters.

The defendants on Friday objected to the Skopje Criminal Court's previous decision to seize their passports as a precautionary measure.

"I have given no reason for any measure against me, let alone for that measure [detention]. Still, I believe in the impartiality of the court and I believe the judges will act according to the law, the arguments and facts, and won't show solidarity with ... someone's political agenda," Jankulovska stated.

She and the other defendants have accused the SJO of...