North Macedonia Murder Retrial Convicts Ethnic Albanians of Terrorism

Skopje Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced Agim Ismailovic, Afrim Ismailovic and Alil Demiri to life in prison, finding them guilty of terrorism for committing the murders of five ethnic Macedonians - a crime that shook the nation in 2012 and has continued to cause inter-ethnic tensions and speculation about political meddling.

Only Agim Ismailovic was in the courtroom to hear the retrial verdict, as the two others were tried in absentia, and are believed to be hiding in Kosovo.

Another two defendants, Fejzi Aziri and Haki Aziri, were sentenced to 15 and nine years in prison respectively after they were found guilty of helping the others commit the murders. They had originally been sentenced to life at the first trial.

A sixth defendant, Samir Ljuta, was acquitted of helping to commit the crime after the prosecutor withdrew all charges earlier this year, citing a lack of evidence.

The five Macedonians were killed with automatic rifles and a pistol near Skopje at Orthodox Easter in 2012.

"This was not a regular criminal act, this was a monstrous sadistic killing, taking lives of children who had just stepped into maturity," presiding judge Ognen Stavrev told the court just before announcing the verdict.

Prosecutor Fatime Fetai said that the sentences were "adequate".

But defence lawyer Naser Raufi repeated claims made during the trial that the "case was fabricated" and that the evidence were planted by the police.

"We were not surprised by Samir Ljuta's aquital, but we are surprised that the rest [of the defendants] were not acquitted as well," Raufi told the court.

Lawyers for the defendants, who pleaded not guilty at the retrial, announced they will appeal to a higher court.

The corpses of...