• Friday, 05 July 2024

Ex-Transport Minister Janakievski’s defence delivers closing arguments in Parliament storming trial

Ex-Transport Minister Janakievski’s defence delivers closing arguments in Parliament storming trial
Skopje, 14 July 2021 (MIA) – Former Transport Minister Mile Janakievski’s defence lawyer Aleksandar Novakovski presented on Wednesday his closing arguments in the trial against the alleged organizers of the violent storming of Parliament on April 27, 2017 and asked for his client’s acquittal. He rejected all accusations against defendant Mile Janakievski, stressing that the prosecution being unable to prove charges has presented evidence out of context. “There’s no evidence proving that Mile Janakievski planned the act he is charged with, nor that he was in contact with any of the other defendants prior, on the day of, or after the event,” Novakovski said. According to him, in order for charges to be valid there needs to be a plan for violence or organization and execution of violence with the aim of achieving a certain goal. “However, Mile Janakievski didn’t take part in planning or executing violence,” the defence lawyer stressed. Defendants in the ‘April 27’ case trial include former Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski, ex-transport minister Mile Janakievski, ex-education minister Spiro Ristovski, and former Administration for Security and Counterintelligence director Vladimir Atanasovski. They are charged with terrorist endangerment of the constitutional order and security. Judge Ilija Trpkov presides over the trial in the ‘April 27’ case, while Vilma Ruskovska represents the prosecution.