Naum Conevski (born May 13, 1949, in Odri, North Macedonia, then part of Yugoslavia) was sentenced by a jury in the Østre Landstret on June 26, 1985, to life imprisonment for a double murder committed early in the morning on May 20, 1984, against two young men who had camped in the Femøren area of Amager Strandpark. He remains the longest-serving prisoner in modern Danish history.

Naum Conevski
Born (1949-05-13) 13 May 1949 (age 75)
StatusImprisoned in Sikringsafdelingen (Secure Department) at the State Prison in Nykøbing Sjælland, Denmark
Conviction(s)Double murder,
Criminal chargeDouble murder
PenaltyLife imprisonment

Rape conviction

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Conevski worked as a taxi driver in Copenhagen and was accused of raping a female passenger in January 1981. He was found guilty and sentenced to 30 months in prison, but was released after serving 16 months.

Following significant media coverage, particularly by Ekstra Bladet, the case was appealed to the Special Court of Indictment and Revision. This led to a retrial in the Østre Landstret High Court, which acquitted Conevski of all charges.[1].

The rape case was later featured in a documentary on DR2[2].

Double murder at Femøren

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During the night between May 19th and 20th, 1984, three friends from the youth club Stjernen on Amager—20-year-old Enrico Per Nielsen, and 16-year-olds Brian John Petersen and Dennis Ruben Andersen—camped near Femøren. In the early morning, they were confronted and threatened by a whistling stranger armed with a pistol, who fatally shot Enrico and Brian at close range. Dennis narrowly escaped an attempted murder by hiding. He reported the incident to the police at 4:27 AM, describing the perpetrator as a foreign worker.

During the investigation, police discovered .38 caliber bullets and a knife used by the assailant to slash the boys' bicycle tires. A faint fingerprint was found on the knife. Analysis of the bullets suggested the murder weapon was likely a Colt pistol with rifled barrel.

After media coverage, it was revealed the murder weapon had been stolen a month earlier from a dentist who suspected Macedonian taxi driver Conevski of the theft.

Arrest and trial

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Upon returning from vacation in Macedonia, Naum Conevski was arrested at Copenhagen Airport and remanded in custody. After some time, police discovered a garage rented by Conevski in Copenhagen's South Harbor, where they found the murder weapon.

The Forensic Medical Council Retslægerådet assessed Conevski as having deviant behavior, but deemed him fit for imprisonment. On June 26, 1985, Conevski was sentenced to life imprisonment by a jury at the Østre Landstret High Court for the double murder on May 20, 1984.

During the investigation into the double murder on May 20, 1984, additional crimes committed by Naum Conevski came to light. It was discovered that Conevski had also attempted to murder a friend of the two deceased individuals. Furthermore, Conevski was found to have committed a separate crime of rape against a female customer.

Subsequently, it was revealed Conevski was also responsible for two other rapes in the Copenhagen area, which had remained unsolved due to insufficient integration between police systems.[3] These additional crimes were considered during the legal proceedings against Conevski and played a significant role in the sentencing decision, which ultimately resulted in a life sentence for the double murder and other related offenses.

Extradition to North Macedonia

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After spending three years at Herstedvester Institution, Conevski was deemed mentally ill and placed under a dangerousness order, leading to his transfer to the secure facility at Nykøbing Sjælland County Hospital. In January 1998, the dangerousness order was revoked, and Conevski was relocated to Sct. Hans Hospital in Roskilde.

Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, Conevski acquired Macedonian citizenship and has repeatedly sought transfer to serve his sentence in his home country. In 1999, a delegation of Danish experts visited Macedonia to assess the possibility of his transfer, but they declined the request, citing concerns over the Macedonian authorities' ability to provide sufficient psychiatric care. Conevski holds the distinction of having served the longest prison term in recent Danish history[4].

In 2012, the Attorney General recommended his final deportation from Denmark to a psychiatric secure facility in Macedonia. However, opposition from the police, Venstre's legal spokesperson Karsten Lauritzen, and the surviving friend of the victims has thus far prevented his repatriation[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Uriasposten » Blog Archive » Ekstra Bladets journalister gik i brechen for Naum Conevski – "… justitsmord med racistiske undertoner"". 2014-08-07. Archived from the original on 2014-08-07. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  2. ^ "Skandale! - fra voldtægtsoffer til skurk | TV | DR". 2015-06-02. Archived from the original on 2015-06-02. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  3. ^ "Venstre går ind i sag om dobbeltmorder". DR (in Danish). 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  4. ^ Ritzau (2012-04-02). "Politi imod udvisning af dobbeltmorder | fyens.dk". fyens.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  5. ^ "Overlevende offer: Har levet i frygt". ekstrabladet.dk (in Danish). 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2024-07-13.