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Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia
November 17, 1991
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Article 19
The freedom of religious confession is guaranteed.
The right to express one's faith freely and publicly, individually or with others is guaranteed.
The Macedonian Orthodox Church, as well as the Islamic Religious Community in Macedonia, the Catholic Church, Evangelical Methodist Church, the Jewish Community and other Religious communities and groups are separate from the state and equal before the law [1].
The Macedonian Orthodox Church, as well as the Islamic Religious Community in Macedonia, the Catholic Church, Evangelical Methodist Church, the Jewish Community and other Religious communities and groups are free to establish schools and other social and charitable institutions, by way of a procedure regulated by law [2].
Article 20
Citizens are guaranteed freedom of association to exercise and protect their political, economic, social, cultural and other rights and convictions.
Citizens may freely establish associations of citizens and political parties, join them or resign from them.
The programmes and activities of political parties and other associations of citizens may not be directed at the violent destruction of the constitutional order of the Republic, or at encouragement or incitement to military aggression or ethnic, racial or religious hatred or intolerance.
Military or paramilitary associations which do not belong to the Armed Forces of the Republic of Macedonia are prohibited.
Article 21
Citizens have the right to assemble peacefully and to express public protest without prior announcement or a special license.
The exercise of this right may be restricted only during a state of emergency or war.
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Article 24
Every citizen has a right to petition state and other public bodies, as well as to receive an answer.
A citizen cannot be called to account or suffer adverse consequences for attitudes expressed in petitions, unless they entail the committing of a criminal offence.
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Article 48 [4]
Members of communities have a right freely to express, foster and develop their identity and community attributes, and to use their community symbols.
The Republic guarantees the protection of the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of all communities.
Members of communities have the right to establish institutions for culture, art, science and education, as well as scholarly and other associations for the expression, fostering and development of their identity.
Members of communities have the right to instruction in their language in primary and secondary education, as determined by law. In schools where education is carried out in another language, the Macedonian language is also studied.
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Article 54
The freedoms and rights of the individual and citizen can be restricted only in cases determined by the Constitution.
The freedoms and rights of the individual and citizen can be restricted during states of war or emergency, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
The restriction of freedoms and rights cannot discriminate on grounds of sex, race, colour of skin, language, religion, national or social origin, property or social status.
The restriction of freedoms and rights cannot be applied to the right to life, the interdiction of torture, inhuman and humiliating conduct and punishment, the legal determination of punishable offences and sentences, as well as to the freedom of personal conviction, conscience, thought and religious confession.
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Article 71
The right to propose adoption of a law is given to every Representative of the Assembly, to the Government of the Republic and to a group of at least 10,000 voters.
The initiative for adopting a law may be given to the authorized instances by any citizen, group of citizens, institutions or associations.
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[1] Amendment VII
[2] Amendment VII
[3] Amendment VIII replaced a term of “nationality” with “community”.