SKOPJE – A prominent North Macedonian prosecutor Lenče Ristoska resigned from the position after new Republic Prosecutor Nenad Saveski removed her from the cases concerning alleged corruption within the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party (“Talir 1” and “Talir 2”). Previously, the Council of Public Prosecutors unanimously rejected the initiative of Ristoska and thus decided that Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski did not affect her independence and did not make public statements pressure in her handling of the “Talir” cases, in which VMRO-DPMNE is judged, it was reported by Sloboden pečat.
“This week, the Council of Public Prosecutors rejected my complaint for an attack on my integrity and independence, and the State Public Prosecutor decided to withdraw the authorization to represent me in key cases at the final stage. I believe that these decisions seriously weaken the position of the Public Prosecution Service and carry specific risks for the outcome of cases targeting high-level corruption and crime”, Lenče Ristoska told Sloboden pečat.
According to her, “these actions are in direct contradiction to the vision I support, which is a prosecutor’s office that works outside of political influences, protects its professionals and defends the public interest consistently and without selection”.
“Since I see no room for work in accordance with these principles, today I resigned from the position of Public Prosecutor. My sincere gratitude to all those who recognized and supported my dedication and struggle”, Ristoska stated.
She added that “working on high-profile cases also creates high-profile enemies – those who use their power, influence and connections to avoid responsibility and distract you from your intention”.
“This meant obstructions at various levels, institutional and personal. Over the years, you have witnessed many of these events: influencing witnesses, exerting pressure, changing legal solutions, keeping cases in a drawer and the statute of limitations on cases. All this did not prevent me from persisting in my efforts, so I publicly criticized the situation in the judiciary regardless of the socio-political context and without calculating the consequences for my career”, Ristoska stressed.
Lenče Ristoska has been the first Liaison Prosecutor for North Macedonia at Eurojust (appointed 2018, reappointed 2024), specializing in international cooperation, organized crime, and high-level corruption. She is known for her work in the Special Public Prosecutor’s Office and for battling discrimination from the Council of Public Prosecutors.
In addition, Ristoska was one of the four candidates for chief prosecutor that the Council of Public Prosecutors forwarded to the Government. In late February 2026, Prime Minister Mickoski said the Government was only considering three of the forwarded candidates, and not her.
