Seven life sentences, 13 defendants sentenced to 40 years behind bars, 6 men got 20-year sentences, one defendant will spend 18 years behind bars, two defendants 14 years, 13 years in prison is the sentence for two men, 12 years for two others with four defendants acquired. This is included in the verdict of a court in Skopje for defendants involved in the events in the Kumanovo settlement of Diva Naselba in 2015.
Tensions flared at Thursday's hearing at the Criminal Court. The accused terrorists got up before the verdicts were announced and started to sing the Albanian anthem all the while chanting 'UÇK, UÇK...' They threatened that 'there will be no peace in Macedonia', 'the blood of those killed will be retaliated' 'long live USA, etc.
The judge ordered most of the terrorists be removed from the court room before reading out the verdicts.
The prosecution was seeking life imprisonment for 37 men accused of terrorism and participation in a terrorist association. The lawyers of the defendants demanded acquittal due to lack of evidence for the committed criminal act.
Eight police officers were killed and 40 men were wounded in a shootout between Macedonian police forces and albanian terrorists on 9-10 May 2015 in the Kumanovo settlement of Diva Naselba. Ten members of the armed group were killed, while about 30 surrendered to the police.
