Macedonia Files Terrorism Charges for Parliament Rampage

The Public Prosecution filed terrorism charges against 30 people, including former interior minister and chief of the uniformed police force Mitko Cavkov, opposition right-wing VMRO DPMNE MPs, police employees and activists over the rampage in parliament on April 27 last year.

Prosecution spokesperson Elizabeta Nedanovska told a press conference in Skopje that charges of "terrorist endangerment of the constitutional order and security" have been filed against 28 people, and against two others for assisting the criminal activity.

"The accused, intending to endanger the constitutional order and safety of Macedonia and to prevent the election of the parliamentary chairman and speaker, caused an act of violence, thus putting in danger the lives of MPs, journalists, officials and employees in parliament and creating a feeling of insecurity, danger and fear among citizens," Nedanovska said.

The attack on parliament in April last year happened amid high political tensions in the country as the former ruling VMRO DPMNE attempted to stop the Social Democrats from forming a government.

It began when VMRO DPMNE party supporters stormed the building only minutes after the new majority in parliament had elected Talat Xaferi as its speaker, paving the way for the election of the new Social Democrat-led government, which eventually took office in May.

The violent mob injured some 100 people including ten MPs from the new majority. The Social Democrats' leader, current Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, was among those injured.

Some VMRO DPMNE MPs, including Krsto Mukoski, who is among those charged, were seen on parliament video footage opening the legislature's main door and apparently giving instructions to the mob where to...