Councillor who said Roma “Should Be Forbidden from Voting" Sanctioned for Hate Speech in North Macedonia

04 May 2026

Brussels, Skopje, 5 May 2026: North Macedonia's Commission for Prevention & Protection against Discrimination has issued a decision against Councillor Ljube Temelkov, finding that his call for Romani people to be "forbidden from voting" constitutes unlawful harassment. The decision, issued on 28 April 2026, is a victory against public, coded hate speech, as the Commission explicitly recognised that using historical slurs and ambiguous language to target Roma does not shield public officials from liability.

On 20 October 2025, Temelkov published a Facebook post stating that "Gypsies should be forbidden from voting." This was followed by a video and additional posts targeting Romani communities with further offensive and derogatory remarks, painting Romani people as unworthy citizens. In its decision, the Commission concluded that Temelkov's conduct constitutes harassment under the Law on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination. His statements were found to violate the dignity of Romani people and to create a degrading, hostile, and offensive environment.

Because Temelkov failed to respond to the Commission's request for his position, the decision was based on the video evidence itself. The Commission identified key moments in the footage, where Temelkov called for Roma to "apologise to Macedonians" and suggested they were unworthy citizens, as clear and sufficient proof.

The ruling highlights several discriminatory elements, including calls to restrict the voting rights of Romani people and language portraying Roma as a threat. The Commission identified two aggravating factors. First, it found that the case involves multiple (intersectional) forms of discrimination (Roma were targeted on two simultaneous grounds: ethnic origin and marginalised group status). Second, it determined that the violation was ongoing, continued harassment, because the video remained publicly accessible at the time the decision was issued.

Crucially, the Commission rejected Temelkov's defence regarding the term 'ѓупци' (djupci) – a word evoking Romani people that means dishonest, criminal, or socially undesirable – ruling that it constitutes coded racist language. The decision establishes that using historical slurs or ambiguous terms to mask discriminatory intent does not exempt public officials from liability. This is particularly significant, as it addresses the use of racial codes to mask discriminatory intent; a tactic often used by far-right politicians to evade accountability.

As a result, the Commission issued a set of recommendations to be implemented within 30 days. Temelkov is required to:

• Delete the offending video immediately.
• Publish a public video apology with visibiilty equal to the original post.
• Refrain from any further discriminatory conduct.

The decision also underscores that public officials bear heightened responsibility for their speech, given their influence and the potential impact of their words in spreading intolerance.

Mustafa Asanovski, the ERRC’s country facilitator in North Macedonia, emphasised the importance of the ruling: "It sends a clear message: anti-Roma hate speech is discrimination, regardless of whether it is disguised through coded language or historical slurs. Recognising the intersectional and ongoing nature of this harm is a vital step toward ending impunity for public officials."

This press release is also available in Macedonian.

For more information or interview requests:

Jonathan Lee
Advocacy & Communications Director
European Roma Rights Centre
jonathan.lee@errc.org 
+32 49 288 7679

Mustafa Asanovski
Regional Human Rights Monitor
European Roma Rights Centre
mustafa.asanovski@errc.org
+389 77 835 187