Prosecutors in North Macedonia have launched a preliminary investigation into hate speech chants during a basketball match between the national teams of North Macedonia and Romania, following an outcry over racist and nationalist slogans directed at ethnic Albanians.
The Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Kumanovo said on Sunday it instructed local police to collect CCTV footage and identify individuals involved in the incident during the August 2 pre-qualifier for the Basketball World Cup, which was played in the northern city of Kumanovo.
The match sparked public outrage after a group of fans chanted slogans such as “A good Albanian is a dead Albanian” and “Gas chambers for Albanians.” Other slogans heard included “Cursed Albanians must understand, the Macedonian name will never disappear” and “Clean Macedonia.” Senior government officials, including Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski, and Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Stoilkovic, were reportedly present but did not react publicly during the game.
The chants were widely condemned by political parties, civil society groups and regional leaders, including Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, who described them as “unacceptable” and said they undermined coexistence and democratic values.
“Albanians are an indigenous people on their lands and deserve to be treated with dignity and equality,” Osmani said, criticizing what she called the silence of authorities in Skopje. She urged North Macedonian institutions to take immediate action against those responsible.
Albanian Speaker of Parliament Elisa Spiropali echoed the criticism, calling the rhetoric “divisive and unacceptable.” She emphasized that sport should be a space for unity and not a platform for ethnic hatred.
After mounting regional pressure, Prime Minister Mickoski condemned the chants on Monday, saying they came from a “small group of individuals” and insisting they received no support from the broader audience. He claimed he had not noticed the slogans during the game but added that “such behavior will be subject to investigation and sanctions, regardless of where it comes from.”
Opposition leaders, including former foreign minister Bujar Osmani and Alliance for Albanians head Arben Taravari, criticized Mickoski’s delayed response. Taravari accused the prime minister of “encouraging hate speech” through inaction.
Mickoski’s VMRO-DPMNE party condemned all forms of hate speech, attributing the incident to a “small group of individuals,” while ruling coalition parties SDSM and DUI suggested the chants were politically motivated ahead of upcoming elections. They called for accountability from members of the VLEN coalition, which is part of the current government.
The Macedonian Basketball Federation distanced itself from the incident, saying sport should be a unifying force, not a divisive one.
Prosecutors said the investigation would continue and that criminal charges could be filed once those responsible are identified.