Nearly three years after local media declared him an “overnight public hero and role model,” Gjorgji Ilievski finally has obtained justice. An appeals court in Skopje has ruled that officials are required to investigate the corruption allegations raised by the former North Macedonian education inspector.
North Macedonia passed one of Eastern Europe’s first whistleblower protection laws in 2015, which on paper contains many best practices. It was widely praised as a groundbreaking measure to curb corruption in the fragile Balkan country infamous for its political cronyism.
When it came time to investigate Ilievski’s case and protect him from retaliation, however, the law was absent – along with the public officials responsible for enforcing it.
Ilievski was serving as a chief inspector for Macedonia’s Education Ministry in April 2019 when he learned that three well-connected politicians – including the education minister himself – had improperly obtained professorships and other academic titles at the State University of Tetovo.
Ilievski told many public authorities about the irregularities, including his supervisor, prosecutors, the financial police and the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption (SCPC). Ilievski said he was pressured to stay quiet and withdraw his reports, and he was cautioned because he has a family and children, the Southeast Europe Coalition on Whistleblower Protection reported.
Ilievski was transferred, threatened with demotion and no longer...
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