Bulgarian Politician Escapes ‘Assassination Attempt’ After Gun Jams

A Bulgarian politician survived an extraordinary assassination attempt when a man stormed the stage and held a gun to his head as he was giving a speech.

Fortunately for Ahmed Dogan, leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, the weapon misfired giving him time to react and hit the would-be assassins hand out of the way.

Before he can attempt a second shot the unidentified suspect is tackled to the ground by security guards and delegates attending the conference in Sofia. Television footage showed the man jumping out of the audience and interrupting a speech by 58-year-old Dogan, who has led the party for almost a quarter of a century.

Security guards and politicians are then seen beating and kicking the attacker as he is pinned to the ground. 'Ahmed Dogan is in good health. Everything is under control’, MRF official Ceyhan Ibryamov told journalists. Police said they had arrested a 25-year-old man from the Black Sea town of Burgas who was also carrying two knives.

The liberal MRF party represents ethnic Turks and other Muslims who make up about 12 percent of Bulgaria's 7.3 million-strong population. Dogan is seen as one of Balkan country's most influential political figures. The MRF was a junior partner in the previous Socialist-led cabinet. In 1996, former Prime Minister Andrei Lukanov was found shot dead near his home in Sofia, though attacks on politicians are rare.