During the April 2017 trial, former SDSM member of Parliament Petar Atanasov told the court that then Speaker Trajko Veljanoski was correct in the way he was conducting the session, before the incident broke out.

Veljanoski conducted himself well, in accordance with the law, Atanasov said.

Veljanoski is charged with the incident, which was provoked by the SDSM and DUI parties, when they staged an irregular vote to elect a new Speaker. This prompted protesters outside of the building to storm in. The prosecution, made of loyalists of the Zaev regime, is relying on a witness it is preparing a plea deal with to continue to go after opposition officials like Veljanoski.