Unrest in Gostivar and Tetovo (1997)
Unrest in Gostivar and Tetovo (1997)
In July 1997, protests and clashes broke out in the Macedonian towns of Gostivar and Tetovo after police removed Albanian and Turkish flags from the city halls. The run-up included tensions over flags and political rights for Albanians in western Macedonia, where Albanian mayors Rufi Osmani (Gostivar) and Alajdin Demiri (Tetovo) had displayed Albanian and Turkish flags alongside the Macedonian flag.
Background: Earlier in 1997, the Constitutional Court ruled that displaying foreign flags in public spaces violated state sovereignty. After some flags were taken down, about 20,000 Albanians protested, and the flags were restored on May 27. On July 8, the Parliament passed a Law on the Use of Flags allowing international flags on private property and in front of city halls during public holidays.
On July 9, early in the morning, special police entered Gostivar and Tetovo, detaining Osmani and other DPA members and removing the Albanian and Turkish flags. An Albanian crowd gathered to demand Osmani’s release and to defend the flags. The violence left 3 Albanians dead, over 200 injured (including 9 police officers), and about 320 people arrested. Police carried out arrests and beatings, sometimes at checkpoints or in homes without warrants.
Aftermath: Osmani was sentenced to 13 years and 8 months, and Demiri received 2 years and 6 months in prison. Domestic and international reactions included condemnation and calls for release. In 1998–1999, an amnesty law was passed, and the mayors were freed in March 1999. In December 1998, the Constitutional Court repealed the flag law. The European Court of Human Rights found that the authorities had interfered with freedom of assembly but deemed the interference justified.
The unrest in 1997 was a precursor to the 2001 conflict in Macedonia, which ended with the Ohrid Agreement granting more rights to Albanians.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 02:43 (CET).