Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi took the witness stand Thursday at a hearing as part of the trial against the organizers of the Parliament storming, which took place April 27, 2017.

He told the court that on April 27, 2017 his brother had died, which was why he had occasionally attended the session in Parliament. Xhaferi also said he didn’t know whether 31 MPs had submitted a letter to the chairman Trajko Veljanoski asking the session to carry on.

He said back then there was no technical option allowing the Parliament president to turn off the microphone while an MP had been speaking.

Being cross-examined by the prosecutor Vilma Ruskoska, Xhaferi said there had been a request to begin another item on the agenda, namely election of Parliament Speaker, however, it wasn’t on the agenda to be voted by MPs.

Asked by the defense lawyer Elenko Milanov, Xhaferi said that the chairman Veljanoski several times had asked the MPs to give up addressing, but he couldn’t force them.

After the hearing, Speaker Xhaferi left the court without speaking to reporters.

Speaking to members of the media, Milanov said Xhaferi had confirmed that Veljanoski has acted in line with the Rules of Procedures and had no technical option to turn off the microphone while the MPs were speaking.

Former Speaker Trajko Veljanoski is indicted, alongside ex-transport minister Mile Janakieski, ex-education minister Spiro Ristovski and former UBK head Vladimir Atanasovski, for ‘terrorist endangerment of the constitutional court and order.’

The trial, where currently evidence is being presented, resumes on Oct. 16.