Skopje, 30 November 2024 (MIA) — Seventeen people, including minors, have been taken into custody over their involvement in national flag desecration incidents that began at Thursday's Albanian Flag Day celebrations across the country and continued on Friday, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski told a press conference Saturday.

Some of them were arrested over suspicions of desecrating the Macedonian flag, and others related to incidents involving the Albanian national flag and a national symbol of Serbia. The suspects are charged with inciting national, racial and religious hatred, discord and intolerance.

In addition to six minors being arrested in Skopje over tearing and burning the Macedonian flag, two adults and a minor were detained in Prilep on Friday for desecrating the Albanian national flag. A minor was also arrested in Kumanovo for tearing down a Serbian national symbol from the honorary consulate of Serbia. Also, a person was arrested for taking down both the Macedonian and Albanian flags from a mast in Kichevo, Toshkovski said.

"We have lived in this common homeland of ours for many years, beautifully, with respect for each other. We cannot allow such unpleasant incidents and events to lead us astray," Toshkovski said, urging members of the public to respect the law, the Constitution, and each other.

Asked to evaluate the current security situation in light of the latest developments, the interior minister replied that the country was "absolutely safe."

"The Interior Ministry has all the necessary capacities to respond," he said. "We showed that the other day in Skopje, Kumanovo, Kichevo, Ohrid, and yesterday, again in Skopje in Prilep. We have the institutional capacities."

"We are safe, absolutely. Yes," the minister said. mr/