Macedonia

The most significant human rights problems stemmed from high levels of corruption and from the government's failure to respect fully the rule of law, including by continuing efforts to restrict media freedom, interfere in the judiciary, and selectively prosecute offenders. Political interference, inefficiency, cronyism and nepotism, prolonged processes, violations of the right to public trial, and corruption characterized the judicial system. During the year the release of unauthorized intercepted communications recorded by the government's intelligence services allegedly revealed evidence of political interference in public administration and the media as well as high-level corruption. Other human rights problems reported during the year included were physical mistreatment of detainees and prisoners by police and prison guards and poor, overcrowded conditions in some prisons and mental institutions; delayed access to legal counsel by detainees and defendants; restrictions on the ability of Roma to leave the country; restrictions on access to asylum; domestic violence against women and children; discrimination against persons with disabilities; discrimination against ethnic minorities, including Roma and ethnic Albanians; societal discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons; and child labor, including forced begging. The government took some steps to punish police officials guilty of excessive force, but impunity continued to be a problem. In September the parliament unanimously approved the establishment of a Special Prosecutor's Office to investigate alleged criminal behavior by government officials revealed through a wiretapping scandal involving the release of unauthorized intercepted communications recorded by the government's intelligence services.