News / More

Macedonia’s opposition leader accuses govt. of wiretapping

Tuesday, 10 February 2015 3:46 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 10 February 2015 3:46 PM ]

Zoran Zaev, the leader of Macedonian opposition Social Democratic Union, is seen speaking at a press conference in Skopje, February 9, 2015.

The leader of Macedonia’s opposition Social Democratic Union has accused the government of eavesdropping on more than 20,000 people, including politicians.

“We have evidence that at least 20,000 people were wiretapped. Today we filed a complaint against the head of the intelligence service and other people involved,” Zoran Zaev said at a press conference in the capital, Skopje, late Monday.

Zaev added that “all socially important people except” Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and Saso Mijalkov, who serves as the Interior Ministry’s intelligence chief, have been “eavesdropped upon.” He accused the two political figures of ordering widespread surveillance of top opposition politicians, journalists and religious leaders.

Zaev had already warned that he intended to disclose pieces of information about the government which would have the impact of a “bomb.”

The Monday revelation came a month after Zaev was accused of plotting a coup against the conservative government.

Late January, Prime Minister Gruevski charged Zaev and several other people over allegations of espionage and inciting violence against officials.

Police arrested three suspects, including the country’s former intelligence chief, Zoran Verusevski, over the allegations.

However, Zaev said at the Monday conference that the claims against him were a government ploy to prevent the “spread of evidence of its criminal activities.”

During the Monday event, the opposition party played some phone calls which were allegedly recorded by government spies and came from “brave people” - as Zaev put it - within Macedonia’s intelligence agency.

Gruevski, who has been in power in a country of two million people since 2006, has accused Zaev of trying to blackmail him into holding a snap election, insisting that the opposition leader is a spy hired by foreigners.

MIS/HSN/SS

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk