Smilkovci lake killings

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.

This prompted the prosecution to stick mainly to the old forensic evidence and testimonies from the first trial.

Police in North Macedonia said Monday that eight men have been arrested on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks in the country and officers have seized a large quantity of weapons.

Police said the men were arrested late Sunday and are between 21- and 31-years-old. One of the suspects had a previous conviction of participation in the Islamic State group.

The appeals court said in a statement on Monday that it has upheld the six ethnic Albanians' sentences and rejected their appeal as "ungrounded".

Their defence had demanded acquittal due to a lack of evidence, insisting the case was a political prosecution staged by the government.

The 29 suspects accused of committing acts of terrorism in Kumanovo's Divo neighborhood last May - most of them Albanians from Kosovo - have pleaded not guilty.

Moreover, the told a court in Skopje they were "defending themselves against the police that was attacking." Eight policemen were killed, and more than 30 injured during the incident.