The Ombudsman office investigated the conditions of detention of businessman Jordan Orce Kamcev and determined that the they are inappropriate. Kamcev’s defense team says that he is being tortured in prison with the exceptionally bad conditions he is kept in and are notifying international representatives of his treatment.

In 2019 Kamcev publicized how Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva, close ally of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, is extorting money from him. This grew into the massive Racket scandal that shook the Zaev regime and led to a seven years sentence for Janeva, but also earned Kamev some powerful enemies. He was detained last month for an unrelated case, under the pretext that he was allegedly planning to flee the country.

Kamcev’s defense team says that he was arrested without any evidence of his alleged escape plans, based only on a report from the politicized ANB security service. The defense is submitting a petition to the Committee for protection against torture in Strasbourg.

The Bureau for prison management responded to the allegations to insist that Kamcev does not face torturous conditions in prison. According to the Bureau, he was submitted to six medical checks, including the dispatch of an emergency medical team, but the conclusion was that his health allows him to continue to serve the detention order in the Sutka prison. This prison, near Skopje, is notorious for its horrible conditions.