Annihilation / Likvidacija: Censorship in Macedonia

Annihilation / Likvidacija: Censorship in Macedonia (Likvidacija / Annihilation) is an account by Macedonian investigative journalist Tomislav Kezharovski of his arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment in a case that became emblematic of the pressures facing journalists and freedom of expression in Macedonia.

In May 2013, Kezharovski was arrested in connection with an article he had written in 2008 while investigating the Oreshe case. He was subsequently convicted of revealing the identity of a protected witness and initially sentenced to four and a half years in prison. In January 2015, an appeals court reduced the sentence to two years. His case attracted widespread attention from journalists, human-rights organisations, and international observers, amid concerns about press freedom and the fairness of the proceedings.

Written from Kezharovski’s own experience, Annihilation / Likvidacija describes his time in detention and house arrest while placing his case within a wider account of political pressure, media control, self-censorship, and the erosion of freedom of expression. The book presents journalism as both a profession and a form of resistance, asking what happens when investigative reporting challenges those in power.

Published in 2015 by the Eva Tas Foundation in Amsterdam, the English edition was translated by Bela Gligorova. It forms part of the Eva Tas Foundation’s series of works examining censorship and threats to freedom of expression around the world.