Macedonia opposition says targeted by wiretaps, seeks prosecution of intelligence officials

Zoran Zaev, the leader of the opposition Social-Democratic Alliance of Macedonia, shows a file named: "Freedom and Democracy for Macedonia", during a news conference in the party headquarters in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Feb. 9, 2015. Zaev has accused the conservative government of carrying out illegal wiretaps on more than 20,000 people, including his own, and accused conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of heading the alleged surveillance operation. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) (The Associated Press)

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Zoran Zaev, center, the leader of the opposition Social-Democratic Alliance of Macedonia, speaks from the podium during a news conference in the party headquarters in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Feb. 9, 2015. Zaev has accused the conservative government of carrying out illegal wiretaps on more than 20,000 people, including his own, and accused conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of heading the alleged surveillance operation. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) (The Associated Press)

Zoran Zaev, the leader of the opposition Social-Democratic Alliance of Macedonia, arrives for a news conference in the party headquarters in Skopje, Macedonia, Monday, Feb. 9, 2015. Zaev has accused the conservative government of carrying out illegal wiretaps on more than 20,000 people, including his own, and accused conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of heading the alleged surveillance operation. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) (The Associated Press)

The leader of Macedonia's main Social-Democrat opposition is accusing the conservative government of carrying out illegal wiretaps on more than 20,000 people — including his own telephone line — as the country's bitter feud between the two leading parties intensified.

Zoran Zaev said Monday his party had filed lawsuits to seek the prosecution of intelligence officers, including the Interior Ministry's top intelligence official, Saso Mijalkov.

Zaev accused conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of heading the alleged surveillance operation.

The conservative VMRO-DPMNE party dismissed the allegations, describing Zaev as a "puppet of foreign interests."

Zaev's party has boycotted parliament since losing elections last April, accusing the conservatives of voting fraud, while Zaev has been formally accused of illegally trying to overthrow the government and has been banned from leaving the country.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/macedonia-opposition-says-targeted-by-wiretaps-seeks-prosecution-of-intelligence-officials