SECOND SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 18364/21
Iva ZENDELSKA
against North Macedonia
(see appended table)
The European Court of Human Rights (Second Section), sitting on 7 May 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 application 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 1 April 2021,
Having regard to the formal declarations accepting a friendly settlement of the case,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDUREThe applicant’s details are set out in the appended table.
The applicant was represented by Mr D. Antovski, a lawyer practising in Skopje.
The application concerns administrative proceedings which led to the revocation of the security clearance of the applicant, a diplomat employed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and related civil proceedings for the applicant’s dismissal on the grounds of her having lost the security clearance. The applicant complained that both in the administrative and civil proceedings the principle of equality of arms had been violated and that the domestic authorities had not provided any reasons to justify the conclusion that she had posed a security risk. She also complained that the costs of the proceedings that she had been ordered to pay had been excessive.
The applicant’s complaints were communicated to the Government of North Macedonia (“the Government”) under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention.
The Court received the friendly-settlement declarations, signed by the parties, under which the applicant agreed to waive any further claims against North Macedonia in respect of the facts giving rise to this application, subject to an undertaking by the Government to pay her the amount detailed in the appended table. This amount will be converted into the currency of the respondent State at the rate applicable on the date of payment, and will be payable within three months from the date of notification of the Court’s decision. In the event of failure to pay this amount within the above‑mentioned three-month period, the Government undertake to pay simple interest on it, from the expiry of that period until settlement, at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points.
The payment will constitute the final resolution of the case.
THE LAWThe Court takes note of the friendly settlement reached between the parties. It is satisfied that the settlement is based on respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and the Protocols thereto and finds no reasons to justify a continued examination of the application.
In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the case out of the list.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to strike the application out of its list of cases in accordance with Article 39 of the Convention.
Done in English and notified in writing on 28 May 2026.
 
 Viktoriya Maradudina Stéphane Pisani
 Acting Deputy Registrar President
 
APPENDIX
Application raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention
(Access to court; Fair hearing/pronouncement)
Application no.
Date of introduction
Applicant’s name
Year of birth
 
Date of receipt of Government’s declaration
Date of receipt of applicant’s declaration
Amount awarded for non‑pecuniary damage
(in euros)[1]
18364/21
01/04/2021
Iva ZENDELSKA
1976
 
02/03/2026
02/02/2026
4,700
 
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicant.