By The Associated Press

Published: Saturday, January 19, 2013, 10:24 p.m.
Updated: Tuesday, February 19, 2013

SOFIA, Bulgaria — A Bulgarian opposition politician narrowly escaped an assassination attempt during a televised speech on Saturday when a man climbed on the stage next to him and pointed a gun to his head at point-blank range.

Police identified the alleged attacker as Oktai Enimehmedov, 25, from the eastern coastal city of Burgas. They said he was carrying the gun and two knives.

The video from the 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 Enimehmedov before he could pull the trigger, while other delegates wrestled the assailant to the ground. Television 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.

1. N. Korea fires 3 guided missiles
2. Syria’s Assad says he’ll ‘face storm’
3. Afghan women’s rights suffer setback
4. Pontiff dips into politics
5. Sacre bleu! French in uproar over plan for courses in English
6. Venezuela’s military sent into high-crime slums
7. 6 Americans die in suicide blast in Afghanistan
8. Danish teen finds rare Viking coins
9. Egypt’s Mubarak talks for 1st time since detention, or does he?
10. British fugitive caught sunbathing in Spain
11. Pakistan’s Sharif sends mixed message to U.S.

There are currently no comments for this story.
Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.