Former Macedonian PM Nikola Gruevski Acquitted in "Talir 2" Case

A Skopje court has acquitted former Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski in the "Talir 2" case, which concerned allegations of abuse of official authority and illegal financing of the VMRO-DPMNE party headquarters. The presiding judge stated that changes to the Criminal Code in 2023, which altered the indictment, were taken into account. The court found that the prosecution did not prove Gruevski's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, accepting the stance of the Skopje Court of Appeals that the legal amendments directly favored the accused. The court also rejected the prosecution's request to confiscate the party headquarters. This verdict is not final, and parties have the right to appeal. The case has seen previous developments, including a change in prosecutor and an earlier annulment of a first-instance verdict by the Appellate Court due to the legal amendments. Gruevski, who fled to Hungary in 2018 to avoid a prison sentence in a separate case, was previously convicted in absentia in "Talir 2" and other proceedings.