A protester in front of the Skopje Criminal Court displays the immage of former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, May 23, 2018. Photo EPA-EFE/NAKE BATEV

A judge who sentenced the former prime minister of Macedonia, Nikola Gruevski, to two years in jail last month has been under 24-hour police protection for the past two weeks due to threats made against her, Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski said on Friday.

Dobrila Kacarska was the presiding judge in the so-called “Tank” case in which Gruevski was convicted of fixing a tender for his government to buy a bullet-proof Mercedes Benz. Gruevski, who was prime minister from 2006 to 2016, is appealing the verdict.

Spasovski said police were still trying to determine who was behind the threats against Kacarska.

“Physical protection has been assigned to Judge Dobrila Kacarska upon the request of the (Skopje Criminal) Court and upon an assessment made by the police,” he told reporters.

On Thursday, Kacarska declined to comment for 24 Vesti TV on media reports – unconfirmed at the time – that she was under police protection. The Court had also declined to confirm or deny the reports.

Before his conviction, Gruevski had made several public statements referring to reports – in media regarded as close to his now opposition VMRO-DPMNE party – alleging the Social Democrat-led government had struck a deal with the court to convict Gruevski and acquit Social Democrat leader and current Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in a bribery case.

Gruevski specifically named Kacarska, who was formerly involved in an initial stage of the trial but not its finish. Zaev was acquitted last month.

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