Ivanovski and Others v. North Macedonia

SECOND SECTION

Application no. 13591/25 Dimitar IVANOVSKI and Others against North Macedonia and 26 other applications

(see appended table)

The European Court of Human Rights (Second Section), sitting on 18 June 2026 as a Committee composed of:

Stéphane Pisani , President , Juha Lavapuro, Hugh Mercer , judges ,

and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,

Having regard to the above applications against the Republic of North Macedonia lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on the various dates indicated in the appended table,

Having regard to the declarations submitted by the respondent Government requesting the Court to strike the applications out of the list of cases,

Having deliberated, decides as follows:

The list of applicants is set out in the appended table.

The applicants were represented by Ms D. Chakarovska-Grozdanovska, a lawyer practising in Skopje.

The applicants’ complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention concerning the excessive length of bankruptcy proceedings were communicated to the Government of North Macedonia (“the Government”).

Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision.

After unsuccessful friendly-settlement negotiations, the Government informed the Court that they proposed to make a unilateral declaration with a view to resolving the issues raised by these complaints.

The Government acknowledged the excessive length of the impugned proceedings. They offered to pay the applicants the amounts detailed in the appended table and invited the Court to strike the applications out of the list of cases in accordance with Article 37 § 1 (c) of the Convention. The amounts would be converted into the currency of the respondent State at the rate applicable on the date of payment, and would be payable within three months from the date of notification of the Court’s decision.

The applicants were sent the terms of the Government’s unilateral declaration. By a letter of 25 March 2026, the applicants indicated that they were not satisfied with those terms. In particular, they argued that the amounts proposed by the Court and the Government were insufficient and did not correspond to the standards established in the Court’s case-law.

The Court observes that Article 37 § 1 (c) enables it to strike a case out of its list if:

“... for any other reason established by the Court, it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the application”.

Thus, it may strike out applications under Article 37 § 1 (c) on the basis of a unilateral declaration by a respondent Government even if the applicants wish the examination of the cases to be continued (see, in particular, the Tahsin Acar v. Turkey judgment (preliminary objections) [GC], no. 26307/95, §§ 75 ‑ 77, ECHR 2003-VI).

The Court has established clear and extensive case-law concerning complaints relating to the excessive length of civil proceedings (see, for example, Adži-Spirkoska and Others v. the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (dec.), nos. 38914/05 and 17879/05, 3 November 2011, and Petrović v. the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, no. 30721/15, §§ 20, 21 and 26, 22 June 2017).

Noting the admissions contained in the Government’s declarations as well as the amount of compensation proposed – which is consistent with the amounts awarded in similar cases – the Court considers that it is no longer justified to continue the examination of the applications (Article 37 § 1 (c)).

In the light of the above considerations, the Court is satisfied that respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and the Protocols thereto does not require it to continue the examination of the applications (Article 37 § 1 in fine ).

The Court considers that in the event of failure to pay the amounts indicated in the declaration within the above-mentioned three-month period, simple interest shall be payable, from the expiry of that period until settlement, at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank plus three percentage points (compare with Magdelinikj v. North Macedonia (dec.) [Committee], no. 13208/20 and 4 other applications, § 16, 26 March 2024; Zogović v. Montenegro (dec.) [Committee], no. 60117/10, 6 February 2018; and Aslan v. Turkey (dec.) [Committee], no. 19882/10, § 22, 28 February 2017).

Finally, the Court emphasises that, should the Government fail to comply with the terms of their unilateral declarations, the applications may be restored to the list in accordance with Article 37 § 2 of the Convention (see Josipović v. Serbia (dec.), no. 18369/07, 4 March 2008).

In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the cases out of the list.

For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,

Decides to join the applications;

Takes note of the terms of the respondent Government’s declarations and of the arrangements for ensuring compliance with the undertakings referred to therein;

Decides to strike the applications out of its list of cases in accordance with Article 37 § 1 (c) of the Convention.

Done in English and notified in writing on 9 July 2026.

Viktoriya Maradudina Stéphane Pisani Acting Deputy Registrar President

APPENDIX

List of applications raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention

(excessive length of civil proceedings)

No.

Application no. Date of introduction

Applicant’s name

Year of birth

Date of receipt of Government’s declaration

Date of receipt of applicant’s comments

Amount awarded for non ‑ pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant

(in euros) [1]

Amount awarded for costs and expenses per application

(in euros) [2]

13591/25

23/04/2025

(4 applicants)

Dimitar IVANOVSKI

1951

Stojche JOVANOVSKI

1975

Branko NAKOV

1958

Drage TOSHEV

1959

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

13890/25

25/04/2025

(4 applicants)

Delcho ARSOV

1958

Rade DONCHEVSKI

1954

Vlado DONCHOV

1949

Dushko ILIEVSKI

1964

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

13894/25

23/04/2025

(4 applicants)

Dimche ILIEVSKI

1967

Mile JOVANOV

1956

Zoran JOVANOV

1964

Dragi NAKOV

1960

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

13897/25

24/04/2025

(4 applicants)

Bisera IVANOVA

1955

Vlatko KITANOV

1983

Goce RISTOVSKI

1959

Stojna TRAJCHOVSKA

1956

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

14255/25

30/04/2025

(4 applicants)

Fidancho VELKOVSKI

1964

Orce JOSIFOV

1963

Kuzman MADJOVSKI

1953

Rade NIKOLOV

1957

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

14776/25

30/04/2025

(4 applicants)

Slave NAKOVSKI

1966

Stefanka NIKOLOVSKA

1954

Zhivko STOJANOVSKI

1968

Pavle STOJCHEVSKI

1956

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

14777/25

28/04/2025

(4 applicants)

Carka ANCHOVA

1951

Boro JOVANOV

1965

Dushko MALINOV

1963

Jorde NAKOV

1963

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

14888/25

05/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Jovche VELICHKOVSKI

1966

Ilinka TASEVA

1954

Stojan TASEVSKI

1969

Tosho VUCHEV

1962

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

14898/25

06/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Blazhe VUCHEV

1947

Rache SAZDOVSKI

1953

Trajche TASEVSKI

1964

Rade TIMOV

1966

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

14921/25

03/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Mile BOJKOVSKI

1959

Aco NIKOLOV

1969

Dimche STANOJKOV

1967

Jashko VASILJKOVSKI

1962

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

14973/25

08/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Kire ANGELOVSKI

1957

Goce ATANASOV

1963

Blazho JAKIMOV

1958

Dobre MITKOV

1973

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

15008/25

07/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Slobodan ZDRAVKOV

1957

Milan IVANOV

1959

Trajche JOVEVSKI

1961

Igorche NIKOLOVSKI

1974

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

15024/25

12/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Veselin IVANOV

1947

Jagotka JOSEVA

1962

Milancho JOVANOV

1964

Nacko KOCESKI

1951

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

15212/25

10/05/2025

(3 applicants)

Gjorgji GJORGJIJEV

1953

Koce ILIEVSKI

1960

Rade TASEV

1954

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

15390/25

14/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Ilija ANGELOV

1951

Trajche DODEVSKI

1963

Zoran MILCHEV

1964

Blagoj TRAJCHEV

1952

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

15571/25

13/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Mile DONCHOVSKI

1946

Monika JOSEVA TOSEVA

1986

Slobodan MADJOV

1964

Chedomir MITROVSKI

1964

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

15575/25

15/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Blagoj VANEVSKI

1959

Gjorgjija NIKOLOV

1963

Stojcho NIKOLOVSKI

1958

Mile PETROVSKI

1966

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

15726/25

19/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Dragan DAVITKOVSKI

1961

Todor DIMITROVSKI

1963

Pavle JOVANOVSKI

1951

Save JOVANOVSKI

1958

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

15750/25

16/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Aco ANGELOV

1959

Jonche DODEVSKI

1971

Dalibor JOVANOVSKI

1984

Atanas NIKOLOVSKI

1962

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

16206/25

20/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Jonche DAVITKOV

1974

Dobrinka JAKIMOVSKA

1957

Slobodan JOVEVSKI

1953

Delcho MIJALKOV

1952

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

16455/25

26/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Dushan DODEVSKI

1961

Ace GJORGJIEV

1974

Bozhin KITANOV

1960

Goranche MANASIEV

1975

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

16461/25

22/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Grozde ALEKSOVSKI

1964

Pavle ATANASOV

1961

Jordan PAVLOV

1960

Mile STOJANOVSKI

1955

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

16783/25

23/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Vasil IVANOV

1956

Krsto JOVANOV

1963

Venco MILANOVSKI

1959

Tome NIKOLOV

1968

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

16955/25

22/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Goce BOGATINOV

1970

Orce NAKOVSKI

1962

Vancho NAUMOV

1957

Vase ZLATANOVSKI

1963

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

17057/25

28/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Vanche DIMITROV

1972

Branko DONCHEVSKI

1968

Ivica ILIEVSKI

1977

Liljana JOVANOVSKA

1961

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

17364/25

29/05/2025

(3 applicants)

Stevche ANGELOV

1989

Djenan JONUZ

1973

Goran NAUMOV

1978

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

81

18236/25

21/05/2025

(4 applicants)

Natasha DAVITKOVA

1979

Marica ILIEVSKA

1967

Vanche JOVANOVSKI

1963

Dose PETROV

1953

18/02/2026

25/03/2026

99

108

[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.

[2] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.