After a trial that lasted a year and a half, Skopje’s Criminal Court has found the defendants in the “Organizers of April 27” case guilty and sentenced them to a total of 25 years in prison.

Former Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanovski was sentenced to six and a half years in prison.

Former Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakieski was sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

Former Minister of Education and Science Spiro Ristoski was also sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

Former secret police chief Vladimir Atanasovski was sentenced to six years in prison.

Judge Ilija Trpkov, in announcing the verdict, said that one does not defend one’s country by beating up Members of Parliament, stressing that a state was not built on violence.

The prosecution proposed that the defendants be taken into custody.