The Macedonian Interior Ministry has suspended 16 police officers for their failure to prevent a violent storming of the parliament building by nationalist protesters.
The angry invasion of the parliament on April 27, which included masked men, resulted in dozens of journalists and lawmakers being injured, including Social Democratic Union leader Zoran Zaev.
Zaev is now attempting to form a government and become Macedonia's prime minister after he received the mandate from President Gjorge Ivanov, who had previously refused to do so.
The attack on parliament came after the appointment of an ethnic Albanian, Talat Xhaferi, as speaker.
The May 20 announcement named 11 police officers, four special-police-unit members, and a senior ministry official as being suspended because they "passively observed a crowd who entered and moved freely within the parliament...and did not help other police officers," the ministry said in a statement.
It added that disciplinary proceedings had also begun against the suspended police.
About 25 percent of Macedonia's 2 million citizens are ethnic Albanians.
The attack on parliament was seen as a blow for the country's aspirations to join both NATO and the EU.
Nationalists were upset by demands made by the ethnic Albanian parties that were negotiating to form a government with the Social Democrats, including making Albanian a second state language.
Macedonia Suspends Police Officers For Parliament Invasion
Related
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
EU To Target Chinese Firms With Asset Freezes, Visa Bans For Aiding Russia In Ukraine
2Who Is Calin Georgescu, The Far-Right Winner Of Romania's Presidential First Round?
3Pakistani Capital Locked Down, Internet Partially Suspended Ahead Of Protest
4Russian Beaten In Custody By Kadyrov's Son Gets 13 1/2 Years In Prison
5Interview: Could A Demilitarized Zone End The Ukraine War?
6It's Election Season In Romania. Here's Everything You Need To Know.
7Ukraine Live Briefing: Kyiv Talks Security Ties With Seoul
8The Life, And Nail-Biting Work, Of A Ukrainian Sapper
9Rising Violence Threatens Chinese-Funded Projects In South And Central Asia
10Pro-West PM Leads Romanian Presidential Vote, Russia-Friendly Candidate Makes Surprise Challenge
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
