VMRO-DPMNE activist Stefan Kaloshev, who was brutally arrested during the protest in Skopje today, said that he was beaten by the officers while being dragged to the police van, and during the ride to the police station.

I came to the protests with some friends, we took pictures, it was all peaceful. At one point I started making a video and then a policeman grabbed me by the hand and shouted that I can’t film. I responded that, as a free citizen of Macedonia, I can make a video. Several policemen joined him, and one of them punched me in the torso. They handcuffed me and dragged me to the police van. Before being put in the van, I was punched on the head. During the drive, I kept asking where they are taking me and why. They shouted at me and insulted me. Before arriving, one of them, hit me on the face. I lost consciousness, I got dizzy, I couldn’t talk, Kaloshev said.

In the police station, he was threatened with unspecified criminal charges. After he was released from police custody, he went for a medical exam and the doctors are determining the extent of the injuries. Kaloshev joined the protests called for by the main opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, to renounce the on-going secret negotiations between Zoran Zaev and Bulgaria. Protesters will be blocking key intersections in Skopje and a dozen other cities every day from 15h to 17h.