Bulgarian opposition leader Ahmed Dogan survived an attempted assassination Saturday, January 19th in the nation’s capital Sofia after a gunman rushed the lectern where the leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms Party was speaking. When the would-be assassin raised his gun directly to Dogan’s head, it misfired, and the 58-year-old politician deftly swatted the gun away giving enough time for security forces and an enraged group of aides and assistants to subdue the gunman. And guess what? It's all on video.Police apprehended the 25-year-old almost-killer after he was kicked repeatedly and apparently beaten with a briefcase. His name is Oktai Enimehmedov, according to the Huffington Post, and his stunned, bloodied face and leather jacket will forever be linked with a particularly wretched kind of abject failure. Amazingly, he was also carrying two knives on him, but Dogan was quick enough to escape any harm. According to authorities, Dogan, who is the leader of a party that consists mostly of ethnic Turks, is doing just fine. No news has been released about what might have motivated the attack, or if indeed the incident was a legitimate assassination attempt. At least one news organization in Bulgaria is reporting that the gun used was a starter pistol that can only fire blanks. Details are still sketchy, but this video is pretty vivid.UPDATE:Bulgarian police confirmed Sunday that the attacker's pistol was indeed a non-lethal weapon, and Bulgarian media outlets are reporting that Enimihmedov was trying humiliate Dogan rather than kill him. Dogan, hours after the incident, resigned his post as party leader.via the Huffington Post
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