Macedonian Human Rights Movement International demands the immediate nullification of the “Prespa Agreement”, which illegally and forcibly changed Macedonia’s name into the highly derogatory “North Macedonia” in 2019, and in contravention of the Macedonian constitution, parliamentary rules, Macedonian and international law, and multiple international human rights conventions. Full details are below. Nullifying this illegal treaty will return Macedonia’s name and guarantee its right to self-determination.
The United States, aiding Greece’s quest to eradicate the existence of Macedonians’ name, ethnic identity, culture, and history (the very basis of the “Prespa Agreement”) — and in particular to cover up the egregious human rights abuses that Greece has committed against its indigenous ethnic Macedonian population since it annexed Aegean Macedonia in 1913 —forced through the Macedonia name change in exchange for Greece lifting its veto of Macedonia’s NATO membership bid, and to further cement US hegemony in the region. The US installed the Zoran Zaev regime in 2016/2017 setting in motion the forced name change and brutal suppression of dissent amid mass human rights violations against Macedonians.
Despite the “Prespa Agreement” being overwhelmingly rejected by Macedonians in a referendum on September 30, 2018, it was still forced through by the regime. Among the lowlights, with full analysis below: Article 7(2) officially hands over the term “Macedonia” to Greece and renders the entire Macedonian population in Aegean Macedonia as non-existent; Article 7(3) creates a brand new, artificial “North Macedonian” identity and eradicates Macedonians’ heritage, identity, and culture; and Article 8(5) mandates that a panel of Greek diplomats rewrite Macedonian history and that Macedonian textbooks be rewritten to officially remove any trace of Macedonians’ existence.
Among the illegalities of the forced name change, also with full analysis below: Article 75 of the Macedonian Constitution stipulates that the president of Macedonia must sign any constitutional amendment, which President Gjorgi Ivanov never did. This fact is not even disputed by the former regime or the United States and is highlighted on the Macedonian government’s official website (see website here and screenshot here); Article 120 of the Macedonian Constitution stipulates that “The proposal for association in or dissociation from a union or community with other states [ie. NATO, EU] is accepted by the Assembly by a two-thirds majority vote [81 out of 120] of the total number of Representatives. The decision of association in or dissociation from a union or community is adopted if it is upheld in a referendum by the majority of the total number of voters in the Republic”. The required number of votes in Parliament was not met and the referendum was overwhelmingly rejected; Article 308 of the Macedonian Criminal Code stipulates that “A citizen of the Republic of Macedonia, who places the Republic of Macedonia in a position of subordination or dependence in relation to some other country, shall be punished with imprisonment of at least five years“, which the “Prespa Agreement” was specifically designed to do vis-a-vis Greece; and it cannot be stressed enough that since President Ivanov had not concluded or signed the “Prespa Agreement” as required by the Constitution and given that the President had not signed the decree for the promulgation of the Law on the Ratification of the Agreement, no formal agreement legally existed at the time of the referendum and does not exist now.
Macedonian Human Rights Movement International demands that the president of Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, and government and Prime Minister-elect Hristijan Mickoski, immediately declare the illegal “Prespa Agreement” null and void, thus returning the rightful name of Macedonia. As conveyed directly to President Siljanovska, Prime Minister-elect Mickoski, all Macedonian politicians, and leaders and politicians of other nations worldwide, an illegal law is not law. MHRMI rejects all excuses given by Macedonian politicians to engage in negotiations over Macedonia’s name in the first place, and now the refusal to reverse it. Stating that they will “respect the Prespa Agreement” is a complete betrayal of Macedonians and the democratic values and human rights principles that Western leaders claim to uphold. Referring to European and international law defends Macedonia’s right to self-determination, as opposed to the claims that they justify its violation.
Further information:
https://mhrmi.org/news/the-international-community-has-an-obligation-to-defend-macedonia
Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. MHRMI advocates for the return of Macedonia’s name and human rights for oppressed Macedonians in the Balkans. For more information: 1-416-850-7125, info@mhrmi.org, www.mhrmi.org, twitter.com/mhrmi, facebook.com/mhrmi, instagram.com/MacedonianHumanRights #OurNameIsMacedonia