Arrests in North Macedonia after raucous celebrations by members of ethnic Albanian minority
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Officials in North Macedonia say 10 people have been arrested following raucous celebrations — that allegedly included gunshots — of an Albanian national holiday by members of the country’s ethnic Albanian minority. Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said the suspects, who include several minors, face charges of “inciting national, racial and religious hatred, discord and intolerance.” If tried and convicted, they face up to five years in prison. Thursday night’s celebrations boosted ethnic tensions in the small Balkan country, which has a sizeable and occasionally restive ethnic Albanian minority.