Macedonia’s former prime minister Nikola Gruevski, who fled the country last week rather than report to jail to serve a two-and-a-half-year sentence for corruption, announced on Tuesday that he had been granted political asylum in Hungary.

He wrote on his Facebook page that he had been the victim of a “political witch-hunt” in Macedonia and that Hungarian authorities had granted his request for asylum. Earlier in the day the Hungarian government-linked Magyar Idök newspaper wrote that Gruevski’s application had been approved. Hungarian authorities made no official comment on the matter.

Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has prided himself on making his country one of the hardest places in Europe in which to claim asylum, and he has plastered cities with billboards emphasising that migrants and refugees are not welcome. This distaste does not, apparently, extend to Gruevski, who has had a long friendship with Orbán dating back to Gruevski’s 10-year rule over Macedonia.

Gruevski stepped down as prime minister in 2016 after a wire-tapping scandal, and was accused of dictatorial impulses, erosion of rule of law and corruption. He was sentenced by a court in May.

The exact nature of Gruevski’s route to Budapest remains unclear, but it appears he passed through Albania, Montenegro and Serbia, with the assistance of Hungarian authorities. Albanian authorities have said he exited the country last week in a car belonging to the Hungarian embassy.

Unlike most asylum seekers, Gruevski was not forced to wait in a holding pen at the Hungarian border while his application was processed, instead being allowed to remain in Budapest. He has not been seen in public since leaving Macedonia.

A Hungarian government spokesman, Zoltán Kovács, said Gruevski was allowed to wait in Budapest because “precedent suggests that extraordinary cases like this merit extraordinary consideration”. The extreme speed with which his case has apparently been resolved suggests special treatment.

Macedonian authorities say Gruevski received a fair trial and they have submitted an extradition request. The foreign minister, Nikola Dimitrov, said it is “impossible to digest” that Gruevski would seek refuge in an EU country, after the European commission had accused him in 2016 of transforming Macedonia into a captured state.

Márton Gyöngyösi, a Hungarian opposition MP from the Jobbik party, said officials told a parliamentary national security committee earlier in the day that Gruevski’s request was still under consideration and would take time to process. “Someone is lying, and I’m not sure it’s Gruevski.” He said he believed there must have been a top-level decision to grant asylum.

“He’s a convicted criminal in his own country and he should have been returned immediately,” Gyöngyösi said. “I can’t think of one good reason to risk an international scandal for this, unless there is an enormous corruption case or a hidden geopolitical aspect.”

Macedonia is in the process of ratifying an agreement with Greece to change its name to North Macedonia, paving the way for Nato and EU accession. Gruevski’s VMRO party, as well as Russia, have been strongly critical of the deal.

The move to grant asylum, if confirmed, is the latest in a series of provocative gestures by Orbán that have left other EU countries and Nato allies stumped about how to respond. Threats of disciplinary action from the European parliament have so far merely played into Orbán’s rhetoric that he is under attack from “pro-migration” forces in Brussels, while more conciliatory approaches also seem to have failed.

David Cornstein, the new US ambassador to Hungary and a personal friend of Donald Trump, has said he will not criticise Orbán publicly, but he has asked the government to keep the Central European University operational. The university was founded by George Soros, the philanthropist and financier whom Orbán has demonised and accused of undermining Hungary’s sovereignty.

Despite Cornstein’s attempts at mediation, the Hungarian government has not signed an agreement to allow the university to stay, and the university has said it will begin a slow shifting of operations to Vienna next year.

Orbán won a two-thirds parliamentary majority in April elections that gave him a third consecutive term in office, and has positioned himself as a leader of rightwing, anti-migration forces across the continent before European elections due next year.</s></s>“Today the Republic of Hungary, an EU and Nato member country, approved my previously submitted request for political asylum for political persecution in the Republic of Macedonia. In the request for political asylum I stated that I am applying for it due to political persecution by the new government led by the SDSM party. I have learned that the government wants to take my freedom away using undemocratic steps and methods and abusing the prosecutorial and judicial system in Macedonia,” Nikola Gruevski said on Facebook after Hungary reportedly granted asylum to the former prime minister who fled to Budapest after being sentenced to prison for abuse of power.

‘The Immigration Authority concluded that if Gruevski returned home, his political past and stance, as well as accusations made against him by the new government, could make him subject to official persecution,” Hungarian daily Magyar Idok said.

Neither the Hungarian nor the Republic of Macedonia’s government has thus far confirmed that Gruevski was granted political asylum.

To continue reading, please click here.</s>SKOPJE: Macedonia's ex-prime minister Nikola Gruevski, who was sentenced to two years in prison on corruption-related charges, confirmed on Tuesday that he was granted asylum in Hungary.

"Today The Republic of Hungary, an EU and NATO member state, responded positively to my previously submitted request to obtain political asylum due to political persecution in the Republic of Macedonia," Gruevski wrote on his Facebook page.</s>BUDAPEST/SKOPJE (Reuters) - Former Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski, who fled abroad after being sentenced to two years in prison on corruption-related charges, said on Tuesday that he had been granted political asylum in Hungary.

Macedonian police had issued an arrest warrant for Gruevski, who resigned in 2016 after a decade in power, after he failed to show up to begin his sentence, following a Nov. 9 court ruling against his motion for a reprieve.

“Today the Republic of Hungary, an EU and NATO member state, responded positively to my previously submitted request to obtain political asylum due to political persecution in the Republic of Macedonia,” Gruevski wrote on his Facebook page.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Idok reported without naming its sources that the Hungarian Immigration and Asylum Office had established that the legal conditions to give Gruevski asylum had been met.

Officials at the immigration agency were unavailable for comment. A government spokesman said Hungary “has been in compliance with the...rules” with respect to Gruevski’s case, without elaborating.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban supported the fellow right-wing nationalist Gruevski in the run-up to Macedonia’s 2017 election and praised his party’s efforts to halt migrants passing through the Balkans to western Europe.

Orban’s office earlier said it considered Gruevski’s asylum request to be “solely a legal issue” to be handled by the competent authority.

The Macedonian Justice Ministry said it would send a request for Gruevski’s extradition to Budapest.

“The government expects that the authorities in Budapest will unconditionally accept the request for extradition and in accordance with international law, as a member state of NATO and the EU, will facilitate the return of Gruevski to Macedonia,” the government in Skopje said in a statement.</s>The government of Hungary granted asylum to Nikola Gruevski, once the most powerful politician in Macedonia, according to a post the former prime minister shared on Facebook on Tuesday.

Gruevski claimed political persecution under the government led by his rival Zoran Zaev in his asylum application.

"Today the Republic of Hungary, a member of the EU and NATO, gave a positive response to my earlier request to be granted political asylum," he wrote. "I have decided to fight for the Macedonian cause, for the cause of the Republic of Macedonia, in the only way possible at the moment."

The 48-year-old politician, who led Macedonia from 2006 to 2016, received a two-year prison sentence on corruption charges earlier this year. Gruevski said his life would be in danger if he went to prison due to an alleged government conspiracy to assassinate him.

"Until the very last moment, although I have seen all these instances of being unjustly blamed and persecuted (…) I have faced justice like nobody before, until the moment that the current government had decided to unjustly and politically put me in jail and subsequently assassinate me," he wrote.

Budapest has not yet issued confirmation of asylum. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party previously said that Gruevski was "persecuted and threatened by a left-wing government, which clearly has the support of [US investor and Orban nemesis] George Soros."

Despite having his personal and diplomatic passport confiscated, Gruevski was able to flee Macedonia last week. Hungary denied helping his escape, although police forces in Albania and Macedonia said Hungarian diplomats helped transport him through Serbia.

The government in Skopje submitted an official protest with the Hungarian embassy over Gruevski's escape and said they have sent all necessary papers for his extradition.

"We expect that the authorities in Budapest unconditionally accept the extradition request," they said.

Macedonian authorities have also detained at least three officials from Gruevski's former administration to eliminate risk of their escape.</s>By Krisztina Than and Kole Casule

BUDAPEST/SKOPJE (Reuters) - Former Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski, who fled abroad after being sentenced to two years in prison on corruption-related charges, said on Tuesday that he had been granted political asylum in Hungary.

Macedonian police had issued an arrest warrant for Gruevski, who resigned in 2016 after a decade in power, after he failed to show up to begin his sentence, following a Nov. 9 court ruling against his motion for a reprieve.

"Today the Republic of Hungary, an EU and NATO member state, responded positively to my previously submitted request to obtain political asylum due to political persecution in the Republic of Macedonia," Gruevski wrote on his Facebook page.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said in a reply to Reuters questions that Gruevski was convicted of misuse of office by Macedonian courts after a "thorough and transparent legal process".

"In addition, Mr. Gruevski is indicted in four pending criminal cases. We believe it is appropriate for the Macedonian legal process to proceed and for Mr. Gruevski to be held accountable within the Macedonian justice system," the spokesperson added.‎

Earlier on Tuesday, the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Idok reported without naming its sources that the Hungarian Immigration and Asylum Office had established that the legal conditions to give Gruevski asylum had been met.

Officials at the immigration agency were unavailable for comment. A government spokesman said Hungary "has been in compliance with the...rules" with respect to Gruevski's case, without elaborating.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban supported the fellow right-wing nationalist Gruevski in the run-up to Macedonia's 2017 election and praised his party's efforts to halt migrants passing through the Balkans to western Europe.

Orban's office earlier said it considered Gruevski's asylum request to be "solely a legal issue" to be handled by the competent authority.

The Macedonian Justice Ministry said it would send to Budapest a request for Gruevski's extradition.

"The government expects that the authorities in Budapest will unconditionally accept the request for extradition and in accordance with international law, as a member state of NATO and the EU, will facilitate the return of Gruevski to Macedonia," the government in Skopje said in a statement.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.</s>Gruevski claims he has been granted asylum in Hungary

Macedonia’s fugitive former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski claims he has been granted political asylum in Hungary, a week after he fled his country to avoid serving a two-year jail sentence for a corruption conviction, according to multiple reports. (Note: This report is updated to include comments by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó.)

Gruevski, Macedoniaʼs prime minister from 2006 to 2016, is considered a close ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, although the government has insisted that the asylum request is purely a legal matter, not a political one.

In a Facebook post, Gruevski claimed he is a victim of political persecution by Macedonia’s current Social Democrat government.

"The courts and the prosecutor’s office have been turned into an instrument of political blackmail and calculated (attacks) against political opponents," he wrote. "Today in Macedonia, there are conditions of government repression, discrimination, persecution, politically-motivated arrests and full control by the government."

Authorities in Hungary did not immediately confirm if Gruevski has been granted asylum. However, government-linked daily newspaper Magyar Idők reported that Gruevski’s application has been approved.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday morning in Budapest, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó confirmed that Gruevski had been accompanied by Hungarian diplomats in his escape through the Balkans to Hungary, news site Index. hu reported.

"Former Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski had to cross three borders to get to Hungary, and in all three cases he did so in full accordance with regulations," Szijjártó was cited as saying by official government website kormany.hu.

Index.hu noted that Szijjártó did not reveal the type of document Gruevski used to enter Hungary in lieu of a passport, which had been earlier confiscated by the Macedonian authorities, but speculated that earlier reporting indicates that he received a special permit for a one-time entry.



According to multiple press reports, the Macedonian government submitted an extradition request for Gruevski on Tuesday afternoon. Hungaryʼs Ministry of Justice said the request noted that Gruevski is facing trial in at least three other corruption cases, including charges that stem from a major wiretapping scandal. The extradition request, the ministry added, also noted the "serious nature of the crimes" in question.

Lawmaker Ádám Mirkóczki, of the nationalist Jobbik party, called for a special session of Parliament’s National Security Committee, claiming Hungary’s immigration officials misled lawmakers about the Gruevski case.

Other opposition parties accused the Orbán government of siding with a "criminal," and authorities of breaking Hungarian and international laws during the asylum procedure. Tímea Szabó, a lawmaker with the green Párbeszéd (Dialogue) party, said it would seek legal options to ensure that Gruevski does not stay in Hungary.

Macedonia has been wracked by political crisis for more than three years, marked by a bitter rivalry between Gruevski and current Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. Western leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, traveled to Macedonia to express support for Zaev and the agreement with Greece on the country’s name change prior to the September 30 referendum on the matter. Voters overwhelmingly backed the proposal, although the process was marred by a low turnout.</s>BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Macedonia's fugitive former prime minister said Tuesday he has been granted political asylum in Hungary, a week after he fled his country to avoid serving a two-year jail sentence for a corruption conviction.

Nikola Gruevski, prime minister from 2006 to 2016, is considered a close ally of right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, although the government has insisted that the asylum request is purely a legal matter, not a political one.

In a Facebook post, Gruevski said he was a victim of political persecution by Macedonia's current Social Democrat government.

"The courts and the prosecutor's office have been turned into an instrument of political blackmail and calculated (attacks) against political opponents," he wrote. "Today in Macedonia, there are conditions of government repression, discrimination, persecution, politically-motivated arrests and full control by the government."

Authorities in Hungary did not immediately confirm he was granted asylum. Earlier Tuesday, Macedonia made a formal request to Hungary to extradite the 48-year-old conservative politician.

The Justice Ministry said Tuesday that the request noted that Gruevski is facing trial in at least three other corruption cases, including charges that stem from a major wiretapping scandal. The extradition request, the ministry said, also noted the "serious nature of the crimes" in question.

Orban has been strongly criticized for the special treatment Hungary has granted Gruevski, including the help he received from Hungarian diplomats as he traveled by road through several Balkan countries after fleeing Macedonia.

Lawmaker Adam Mirkoczki, of the nationalist Jobbik party, convened a special session on Wednesday of Parliament's national security committee, claiming Hungary's immigration officials misled lawmakers about the Gruevski case. Other opposition parties said the Orban government was siding with a "criminal," and accused authorities of breaking Hungarian and international laws during the asylum procedure.

Timea Szabo, a lawmaker with the Dialogue party, said they would seek legal options to ensure that Gruevski does not stay in Hungary.

Macedonia has been wracked by political crisis for more than three years, marked by a bitter rivalry between Gruevski and current Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

Most recently, their two parties have been at odds over the country's provisional agreement to change its name to North Macedonia and end a long-standing dispute with neighbor Greece that would allow it to join NATO.

Gruevski's VMRO-DPMNE party is vehemently opposed to the deal, describing it as a national humiliation.

Western leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, traveled to Macedonia to expressed support for Zaev and the agreement with Greece before a Sept. 30 referendum. Voters overwhelmingly backed the proposal but the process was marred by a low turnout.</s>BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Macedonia's fugitive former prime minister said Tuesday he has been granted political asylum in Hungary, a week after he fled his country to avoid serving a two-year jail sentence for a corruption conviction.

Nikola Gruevski, prime minister from 2006 to 2016, is considered a close ally of right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, although the government has insisted that the asylum request is purely a legal matter, not a political one.

In a Facebook post, Gruevski said he was a victim of political persecution by Macedonia's current Social Democrat government.

"The courts and the prosecutor's office have been turned into an instrument of political blackmail and calculated (attacks) against political opponents," he wrote. "Today in Macedonia, there are conditions of government repression, discrimination, persecution, politically-motivated arrests and full control by the government."

Authorities in Hungary did not immediately confirm he was granted asylum. Earlier Tuesday, Macedonia made a formal request to Hungary to extradite the 48-year-old conservative politician.

The Justice Ministry said Tuesday that the request noted that Gruevski is facing trial in at least three other corruption cases, including charges that stem from a major wiretapping scandal. The extradition request, the ministry said, also noted the "serious nature of the crimes" in question.

Macedonia has been wracked by political crisis for more than three years, marked by a bitter rivalry between Gruevski and current Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

Most recently, their two parties have been at odds over the country's provisional agreement to change its name to North Macedonia and end a long-standing dispute with neighbor Greece that would allow it to join NATO.

Gruevski's VMRO-DPMNE party is vehemently opposed to the deal, describing it as a national humiliation.

Western leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, traveled to Macedonia to expressed support for Zaev and the agreement with Greece before a Sept. 30 referendum. Voters overwhelmingly backed the proposal but the process was marred by a low turnout.
Nikola Gruevski, former Prime Minister of Macedonia, says he is granted political asylum in Hungary after he fled his home country last week to avoid a two-and-a-half-year jail sentence for corruption.