Threats and Attacks against CSOs in Macedonia Continued

Threats against Macedonian CSOs have intensified over the past two months after the announced de-Sorosoization of Macedonia civil society by the ex-Prime Minister of Macedonia On January 18, 2017, a new initiative called Stop Operation Soros (SOS) has been launched with the aim to counter the influence of George Soros in Macedonia. The initiative also called upon all “free minded citizens” to join SOS in the “fight against one-mindedness in the civil sector, which is devised and led by George Soros” and announced that their first activities will focus on exposing the subversive activities of Macedonian CSOs funded by George Soros. On February 4, 2017, SOS held a press conference presenting alleged amounts of funds that some CSOs have received from Open Society Foundation Macedonia. According to targeted CSOs, these were false information, insinuations and manipulated numbers, and they have also presented information on CSOs’ financial operations for 2016 – year for which annual financial reports have still not been submitted to the relevant institutions. The latter implies that potential misuse of legal duties of state officials. The attack on CSOs has been followed by a series of individual statements of CSOs denying the information presented on SOS’s press and asking for a public apology, a press conference by the directly attacked CSOs, and a letter for support to CSOs signed by 127 CSOs. More information on the Stop Operation Soros SOS is available here.

Source: Balkan Insight