SKOPJE — 2012 · Murder
The Smilkovci Lake Killings
On 12 April 2012, on the eve of Orthodox Easter, five ethnic Macedonian men were found shot dead by an artificial lake near the village of Smilkovci outside Skopje. Four were aged 18 to 20 and one was 45. The killings sparked serious ethnic tension between Macedonians and Albanians. In a 2014 terrorism trial three defendants received life sentences and two lesser terms. In 2017 the Supreme Court overturned the verdicts over procedural errors. At a 2021 retrial five men were again convicted and sentenced to between nine years and life, while debate over the case's political dimensions continued.
- Date
- 2012
- Place
- Smilkovci Lake, North Macedonia, Skopje, MK
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 42.0600, 21.5100 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 12 April 2012Five men were found killed by Smilkovci Lake.
- 2014Three defendants got life, two lesser sentences.
- 2017The Supreme Court quashed the verdicts and ordered a retrial.
- February 2021Five defendants were convicted again at retrial.
Sources
- RFE/RL — Ethnic Albanians convicted of terrorism in Macedonian murder retrial rferl.org ↗
- Balkan Insight — North Macedonia murder retrial convicts defendants of terrorism balkaninsight.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Smilkovci Lake killings en.wikipedia.org ↗
- RFE/RL
- Balkan Insight
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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Categories
🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.