Macedonia Detains Five For Attack on MP in Parliament

Police arrested the five people at their homes on Tuesday on suspicion that they were accomplices to the attempted murder of MP Zijadin Sela.

The move came after the prosecution widened the investigation into the attack on Sela, who was badly hurt during the April 27 storming of parliament by supporters of the former ruling right-wing VMRO DPMNE party, and spent a few days in hospital.

On May 10, the prosecution launch an investigation into two individuals, a father and a son who were seen on video footage of the parliament violence, dragging Sela unconscious and covered in blood through the corridors of the building.

The two men were then detained.

Several other MPs, including Social Democrats leader Zoran Zaev, who is now prime minster, were injured in the violence.

It began after the majority of 67 MPs in the 120-seat parliament elected a new parliament speaker, Talat Xhaferi, which was the next step towards the establishment of the new Social Democrats-led government, marking the end of VMRO DPMNE's 11 years in power.

On Thursday, another participant in the violence, Pance Angelov was jailed for four years for attacking another MP, the Social Democrats' vice president Radmila Sekerinska.

So far some 20 people have been charged for participating in the violence.

The prosecution is also investigating the involvement of some VMRO DPMNE MPs who were seen on video footage opening parliament's front door and allowing the crowd to storm the building.