Man points gun at Bulgaria politician’s head during a speech

[Sleipnir]

Source: National Post

SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgarian police detained a man after he pointed a gas pistol at an ethnic Turkish party leader as he was delivering a speech at a party caucus in the capital Saturday. No shots were fired.

The video from the Saturday event in Sofia shows the man climbing the podium where Ahmed Dogan, the leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, was speaking, and pointing the gun to his face.

Dogan struck the man before he could pull the trigger, while other delegates wrestled the assailant to the ground. TV footage showed several people punching, kicking and stomping on the man when he was on the ground.

Police arrested him and took him to a hospital. It wasn’t immediately clear if he sustained serious injuries, or how he got past security to enter the hall with nearly 3,000 people attending.

Eventually, the attacker was identified by police as 25-year-old Oktai Enimehmedov, a Bulgarian national and ethnic Turk, from the coastal city of Burgas. He was carrying the gas pistol and two knives. A gas pistol is a non-lethal weapon used for self-defence, but experts say when fired from close range it can cause life-threatening injuries.

Interior Minister Tsvevtan Tsvetanov told journalists that the assailant had a criminal record for drug possession, robberies and hooliganism.

The liberal MRF party mainly represents ethnic Turks and other Muslims in Bulgaria, who make up 12%

of its 7.3-million population.

The conference had to elect a new leader to succeed Dogan, who is one of the Balkan country’s most influential political figures. The 58-year-old has been at the helm of the party since founding it in 1990.

Lyutvi Mestan, who was expected to become the new party leader, said “the true reason for the assault was the language of hatred and confrontation.”

Saturday’s assault was the gravest attack on a politician in post-communist Bulgaria after the 1996 killing of ex-prime Minister Andrei Lukanov.

Edited January 19, 2013 by Sleipnir

[Guest]

They sure gave the guy a good hiding...

[TheNewTeddy]

I once was given a warning point on another forum for referring to certain countries as "loser countries" over and over

When your official security guards feel the need to kick and beat someone, even if they've pointed a gun at the head of your leader

You live in a loser country. If you are the guard, you are the loser, and this is your country. Loser country.

[Signals.Cpl]

I once was given a warning point on another forum for referring to certain countries as "loser countries" over and over

When your official security guards feel the need to kick and beat someone, even if they've pointed a gun at the head of your leader

You live in a loser country. If you are the guard, you are the loser, and this is your country. Loser country.

Then we all live in a "loser country"... including you.

[TheNewTeddy]

I don't recall any beating of Bain when he tried to assassinate Marois

[Signals.Cpl]

What about beating unarmed protestors in the streets during the G20? Loser country right? If this exact situation were to happen in an NDP or Liberal meeting the end result would be exactly the same and only an idiot would judge over 7,000,000 people because he disagrees with the actions of a few who were defending themselves from an unknown assailant who could have had any number of weapons on him. If it were the Conservative with the PM present I would think that it would be shoot first and ask questions later type of scenario.

[Guest American Woman]

A

I once was given a warning point on another forum for referring to certain countries as "loser countries" over and over

When your official security guards feel the need to kick and beat someone, even if they've pointed a gun at the head of your leader

You live in a loser country. If you are the guard, you are the loser, and this is your country. Loser country.

According to accounts I've read, "Video of the skirmish shows other delegates wrestling the gunman to the ground, and then kicking and beating him."

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/01/man-points-gun-at-bulgarian-politicians-head-during-speech/

That's "other delegates," but police have beaten people in your country and mine. What Signals.Cpl said is true - using your criteria, we live in loser countries, too.

[TheNewTeddy]

using your criteria, we live in loser countries, too.

You are right - and that is a bad thing - and that is why we look down upon it.

I would hope that in Bulgaria, there is outrage at the beating, as there would be here if our security forces did the same thing.

[Signals.Cpl]

You are right - and that is a bad thing - and that is why we look down upon it.

I would hope that in Bulgaria, there is outrage at the beating, as there would be here if our security forces did the same thing.

How accepting of you, if they don't feel the same way as you they are a loser country... you must be very openminded...

There would be more outrage if they had not subdued the idiot and someone innocent had died, it is easy to judge with 20/20 vision from the safety of your home but at the time they had just witnessed him trying to assassinate a political leader and they acted to disarm him and neutralize the threat and you may say whatever you want but if your behind was in the fray you would be kicking and punching as well in order to avoid any more weapons he may or may not have on his person.