Dozens Seek Amnesty for Macedonia Parliament Rampage

With a midnight deadline approaching, 57 people - some charged and others already convicted - had asked for amnesty from the Skopje Criminal Court, the court's chief judge, Ivan Dzolev, told reporters.

Macedonia's parliament endorsed the Amnesty Law last week on the initiative of eight opposition MPs who in October provided Social Democrat Prime Minister Zoran Zaev's government with crucial support at the start of the parliamentary procedure to approve Macedonia's historic 'name' deal with Greece.

They then conditioned their further support on progress on reconciliation, which they said should include an amnesty.

Three of the opposition MPs who participated in drafting the amnesty legislation and who initially supported the Greek deal are currently on trial for their involvement in the parliament rampage.

This prompted critics to accuse Zaev and his government of trading the rule of law for opposition votes in order to secure the political goal of implementing the agreement with Greece that needs a two-thirds majority support in parliament in January in order to pass. The deal will see Macedonia change its name in exchange for Greece lifting its veto on the country's EU and NATO integration.

Criticism of law

Some 70 people in total are involved in ongoing or concluded court cases related to the mob attack of April 27, 2017, Dzolev said.

Among those who submitted amnesty pleas are the opposition VMRO-DPMNE MP Krsto Mukoski and opposition Socialist Party MP Ljupco Dimovski. They are currently standing trial along with 33 other persons for their involvement in the events.

A number of people who have already been convicted of violent attacks, including attacks on MPs, during...