North Macedonia: 2 policemen suspended over Roma man's beating

North Macedonia’s interior minister said two police officers were suspended Friday over beating of a Roma man, a form of brutality that rights groups said is a disturbingly frequent occurrence.

Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski said one of officers was also charged with unjustified use of force. His colleague was suspended for allegedly doing nothing to stop beating of man, who was involved in a car accident in sourn town of Bitola.

action came after country's Avaja non-governmental organization posted a video on social media allegedly showing a policeman brutally beating and kicking Roma man on Saturday.

“ Interior Ministry strongly condemns any case of violence, especially when it is committed by a police officer," Spasovski said. “No such act can be justified.”

Avaja NGO said anor three Roma men reported that y also were recently beaten by police in Bitola. organization is planning a Saturday protest against police brutality targeting Roma, who comprise about 2.7% of North Macedonia's 2.1 million people.

North Macedonia's Helsinki Committee also strongly condemned man's beating and said police frequently brutalize Roma people. rights watchdog said it recorded anor incident three months ago when police allegedly beat homeless Roma living in main railway station in capital, Skopje.