
The high-security Idrizov prison in Skopje, North Macedonia, although repeatedly denounced as an institution where prisoners are treated inhumanely, continues to have the same, if not worse, conditions.
A prisoner writes and denounces for A2 CNN the conditions in which more than 70 Albanians from Albania live in this prison, alongside those from Kosovo. He denounces the bad conditions in which they live, the lack of food, medicines and even the denial of the right to benefit from a reduced sentence or deportation to Albania.
The young man appeals that the Albanian Embassy in Skopje, or the Minister of Justice of Macedonia, Krenar Lloga, look into this matter and take into account their requests.
Message :
" Hello, I am IT sentenced to prison in the state of North Macedonia, I am from Pogradec. We are full of Albanians in Albania who are serving sentences for various criminal offenses, but not to the detriment of people. We ask that our voice be heard, as we have been living here for years with great punishments and very inhumane conditions.
In a room which is for 4 people, we sleep up to 9 or 10 people, in a very small environment. We sleep in a shared environment with people who may have illnesses or even mental problems and we take a lot of risk.
The second point, there is no food, we are forced to buy it ourselves up to 300 euros per month, whether our families have it or not, they are forced to buy it for us to live. In addition, we buy the medicines, since the institution has nothing, even for calls to family we are forced to buy phones up to 500 euros to talk to our families and hear their voices.
We call on the Albanian State, the Albanian Embassy in Skopje and the Minister of Justice in the Ministry of Justice Krenar Lloga to take a look at the 1/3 of the punishments that we face even with deportation, since only Albanians do not benefit and suffer the punishment day by day . The reduction of sentences is legal and belongs to us, up to parole for good behavior, etc.
We don't know where to complain about our rights because there are no psychologists, educators, lawyers who care about us.
No one is interested in us, in this country that claims to enter the EU with these communist laws or with Tito's laws, which treats us psychologically as well, from the way they punish us without any control.
No one controls us, how we are psychologically or with health, food and any other rights that belong to us. We are denied all rights and nothing is approved of us ".
For 5 months, the prisoners have been sleeping in the corridors as there is no holding capacity.