MP Zekiri testifies in attempted murder trial

SDSM MP Muhamed Zekiri was called to testify Monday in court in Skopje, where a trial is held about the attack of MP Zijadin Sela during the storming of Parliament on 27 April 2017.

In court, Zekiri recognized one of the defendants, i.e. Aleksandar Janevski-Tosta.

Zekiri told the trial that Sela had been hit with a hard object, but he couldn’t have seen who had thrown it. According to the lawmaker, the defendant, who had worn a black vest and sunglasses that day, had pulled Sela by the hand and had dragged him out of the press hall, where MPs had been attacked by a violent mob of protesters.

During the events happening in Parliament, Zekiri said, I was in one of the cabins for interpreting where I saw Sela being taken out from the press hall. I never saw him again afterwards. Some of my colleagues thought I was me who was being dragged out, because we have similar haircuts, he testified.

The MP said that he had heard the crowd looking for him personally. “I wasn’t assaulted, because they couldn’t find me,” he said.

Today’s hearing included testimonies by two other witnesses of the prosecution.

The main hearing is scheduled on April 18.

10 men are standing trial for attempted murder of MP Zijadin Sela on 27 April 2017. They pleaded not guilty.