3 Macedonian lawmakers jailed over parliament invasion

SKOPJE, Macedonia – Macedonian authorities have jailed three opposition conservative lawmakers, and placed another three under house arrest pending trial for alleged involvement in a violent invasion of parliament by protesters.

A total of 36 people have been charged over April’s riot in the capital, Skopje, in which more than 100 people were injured including lawmakers and police.

Out of the suspects, 26 have been ordered jailed for 30 days, including the three lawmakers and the country’s former interior minister.

The lawmakers were stripped of their immunity from prosecution in a parliamentary session last week which the main opposition VMRO-DPMNE party boycotted on grounds of alleged political bias.

VMRO-DPMNE governed for a decade before the current left-led government took over this year.

The detention order was issued by Macedonia’s criminal court Tuesday.