Even amid heightened precautionary measures against coronavirus, closed institutions, catering facilities, postponement of all events and recommendations to avoid gatherings of more than five people, hearings in the Skopje Criminal Court are running as if there was no threat.

Justice Minister Renata Deskoska said Monday that the government had recommended the Judicial Council and the Supreme Court to consider making a decision to postpone the trials, with a few exceptions.

But the Skopje courts are still operating normally, and hearings are adjourned only after everyone is present in the hall, as was the case with the “Target-Fortress” case on Monday.

According to the defense, a witness from Debar was present at the hearing before it was adjourned, and was not protected or checked.

And today the hearing in the events of April 27 was postponed only because some of the lawyers representing the defendants in the case “April 27”, in a letter informed the Criminal Court – Skopje that they had previously been staying abroad, that is, as a prevention of the coronavirus, they are in home-isolation.

The lawyers are looking for a way to stop all trials because of the current situation.