Former Prime Minister Alex Salmond ‘died while opening a bottle of ketchup’, an eyewitness claims.
The First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014 and founder of the Alba Party, died suddenly in North Macedonia on Saturday at the age of 69.
He had given a speech at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy Forum in the city of Ohrid before collapsing in the crowded hall after suffering a heart attack.
Mark Donfried, director of the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy, said those present were having lunch when Salmond died.
“He came with Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, also from the Alba Party in Scotland, and they were having dinner,” he told Times Radio.
Tasmina was reportedly having trouble opening a ketchup bottle when she asked Mr Salmond for help. As he helped her, “completely out of nowhere he fell back in his chair,” Mr. Donfried said.
A post-mortem examination revealed on Sunday that the former First Minister of Scotland had suffered a ‘major heart attack’. Aides said Mr Salmond complained of pain in his right leg on Saturday morning.
Former MSP Alex Salmond kicks off the ALBA Lothian campaign with ALBA Lothian Candidates in Edinburgh
Scottish First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond, arrives with his wife Moira Salmond at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election results
Members of the public left floral tributes to the former First Minister outside the Scottish Parliament
Mr Donfried said ‘time stood still’ when the incident occurred and paramedics attempted CPR for 30 minutes before Mr Salmond was pronounced dead.
“The whole hotel, the whole conference was in shock,” Mr Donfried added.
Tributes have been pouring in since his death last weekend. Prime Minister John Swinney said he has “inspired a generation” to believe in independence.
The confirmation of the cause of death comes after friends opened up about Mr Salmond’s ‘health battle’, saying the legal battle against the Scottish Government was taking a huge toll.
Conservative MP David Davis, who was a close friend of the late politician, said the “treatment of Alex Salmond” had “put a huge dampener on the last years of this great man’s life”.
This comes as Mr Salmond has been fighting for years to ensure former colleagues are held accountable for the botched investigation into sexual harassment complaints against him.
Mr Davis said he is campaigning for MSPs to be given parliamentary privileges so they can more effectively scrutinize and investigate the actions of the Scottish Government, including in relation to outstanding questions about the investigation into Mr Salmond’s conduct.
Conservative MP David Davis, right, was a close friend of Salmond
Alex Salmond’s legal battle against the Scottish government overshadowed the final years of his life, friends say
Yesterday he added: ‘What I’m trying to do, in parallel to whatever Alex’s estate decides to do, is to open up this whole issue, give those powers to the Scottish Parliament, the powers of privilege – that is say protection from prosecution or trial, the right to summon people to provide information and give evidence – and I want to see a separation between the powers of the state and the judiciary, which is true in the rest of Great Britain Britain, but not in Scotland, so the prosecutors are, as it is, part of the state, and I want the government to have a duty of openness.
‘Now I had a debate about this just two or three months ago and essentially the new Labor government has agreed to do this and the question is how can I ensure that this happens quickly so that we can get good answers to get. into what really happened in the treatment of Alex Salmond, which, quite frankly, put a huge damper on the last years of this wonderful man’s life and, who knows, maybe even hastened his death – I don’t know, I can’t comment on that.
“So I want to see this exposed, opened up, so that the Scottish Government is forced to answer the questions it should be answering on this issue.”
Mr Salmond petitioned the Court of Session last November alleging malfeasance – the unlawful exercise of lawful authority – by Scottish Government officials during the investigation into harassment complaints.
When he filed the petition, he said no person had been “held accountable” for the Scottish Government’s botched investigation into the complaints, which were found to be unlawful and tainted with apparent bias.
He reportedly claimed £3 million in damages and lost income from the case.
Alex Salmond can be seen smiling happily in the center of what is believed to be his last photo, next to his Alba Party chair Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, who is wearing a tartan dress
Mr MacAskill said yesterday he believed the case would “likely” be pursued by Mr Salmond’s family.
He told BBC Good Morning Scotland: ‘It is a matter for the family to decide.
“My own position is that I will respect whatever the family decides, but I certainly hope and I believe that they will probably continue with this because that trial will, in my opinion, expose crimes between individuals and institutions that really need to be are addressed. released so that history can properly remember Alex Salmond.”
In a photo from the event in North Macedonia last weekend, Mr Salmond was seen smiling happily in the middle of a crowd of dignitaries in what is believed to be his last photo, next to his Alba Party leader Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, who wore a dress with Scottish wears a diamond. .
Eyewitnesses said medical teams desperately tried to revive Mr Salmond but were unable to save him.
It comes after a Kremlin TV chief said Salmond was “infinitely brave” and “almost Russian-like” in his fight for Scottish independence.
Margarita Simonyan, head of state media company RT, paid tribute to Mr Salmond shortly after his death.
On Saturday she wrote: ‘Eternal memory of the infinitely brave, almost Russian-esque, soulful, tireless fighter for the independence of his native Scotland, the former Prime Minister of this country and, finally, RT presenter Alex Salmond.’
“Eternal Memory” is a chant sung in the Russian Orthodox Church in honor of the solemn commemoration of the deceased.
RT is one of Russia’s largest English-language broadcasters. It has been banned in Britain since 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Alex Salmond Show ran from 2017 until February 24, 2022, when Russian forces expanded their invasion of Ukraine.
British ministers accused the political talk show of being a “horrible Kremlin propaganda program.”
Mr Salmond has always insisted he had complete autonomy over its production.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Commons told MPs that the former Scottish First Minister leaves a ‘deep and lasting legacy’.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle led the tributes in the House of Commons yesterday as MPs met for the first time since his death.
He said: “He has served the people of Scotland for over thirty years as a Member of this House, as a Member of the Scottish Parliament and of course for two terms as First Minister of Scotland.
‘He was a tireless campaigner for Scottish independence, getting the UK government to agree to the 2014 referendum and playing a leading role in the Yes campaign.
“He leaves a deep and lasting legacy. His sudden death came as a complete shock and the thoughts of this entire House are with his family and friends.”
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said it was his “great personal sadness” that Mr Salmond would not live to see an independent Scotland.
A book of condolence has also been opened in the Scottish Parliament following Mr Salmond’s death.
Visitors can pay their respects by writing their own messages in the book. It will then be sent to Mr Salmond’s family.
First Minister John Swinney also tabled a motion of condolence at Holyrood yesterday to mark Mr Salmond’s death.
His motion expresses ‘shock and sadness at the untimely death’ and extends ‘deep sympathy and condolences’ to his family and friends.
It also marks his ‘many years of public service’ as an MP, MSP and First Minister.