November 10, 2023 - A civil court in Skopje, North Macedonia has ruled against OCCRP member center Investigative Reporting Lab (IRL) and its editor in chief, Saska Cvetkovska, in a defamation case brought by businessman Kocho Angjushev. The court ordered IRL and Cvetkovska to pay €1 in damages, as well as both sides' legal costs.

IRL Editor-in-Chief Saska Cvetkovska (center) gives a statement in front of the court after the ruling. She is accompanied by representatives of press freedom media organizations and the Association of Journalists of Macedonia. Photo: Аssociation of Journalists of Macedonia.

The Civil Court in Skopje has ruled that North Macedonia’s Investigative Reporting Lab (IRL), an OCCRP partner, had no right to publish a documentary on the import and burning of low-quality dirty oils because it is a non-governmental organization and not a media outlet.