Former First Minister Alex Salmond “died while opening a ketchup bottle”, a witness has claimed.
The first minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014 and founder of the Alba Party, died suddenly in North Macedonia on Saturday, aged 69.
He had given a speech at the Forum of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in the city of Ohrid before collapsing in the packed hall after suffering a heart attack.
Mark Donfried, director of the Academy of Cultural Diplomacy, said attendees were having lunch when Salmond died.
“He met Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, also from the Alba Party in Scotland, and they were eating,” he told Times Radio.
Tasmina was allegedly having trouble opening a ketchup bottle when she asked Mr Salmond for help. While helping her, “she fell back in her chair, totally out of the blue,” Mr. Donfried said.
A post-mortem examination ruled on Sunday that Scotland’s former first minister suffered a “massive heart attack”. Attendees reported that Salmond had been complaining 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
Scotland’s First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond, arrives with his wife Moira Salmond for the recount of the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.
Members of the public left floral tributes to the former First Minister outside the Scottish Parliament.
Donfried said “time stood still” when the incident occurred and paramedics tried to revive him for 30 minutes before Salmond was pronounced dead.
“The whole hotel, the whole conference, was shocked,” Mr. Donfried added.
Tributes have poured in since his death at the weekend and Prime Minister John Swinney said he “inspired a generation” to believe in independence.
Confirmation of the cause of death comes after friends spoke openly about Salmond’s “health problems”, saying legal battles against the Scottish Government took a huge toll.
Conservative MP David Davis, who was a close friend of the late politician, said the “treatment given to Alex Salmond” had “greatly tarnished the final years of this great man’s life”.
This comes as Salmond had been fighting for years to ensure his former colleagues were held accountable for the botched investigation into sexual harassment claims against him.
Davis said he is campaigning for MPs to be granted parliamentary privileges so they can more effectively scrutinize and investigate the actions of the Scottish Government, including in relation to outstanding issues over the investigation into Mr Salmond’s conduct.
Conservative MP David Davis (right) was a close friend of Mr Salmond.
Alex Salmond’s legal battle against the Scottish Government overshadowed the final years of his life, friends say.
Speaking yesterday, he added: “What I am trying to do, in parallel to whatever Alex’s heirs decide to do, is to open up this whole issue, to give those powers to the Scottish Parliament, the powers of privilege, that is, protection against prosecution or lawsuit, the right to call people to give information and give evidence – and I want to see a separation of the powers of the State and the judiciary, which is true in the rest of the UK but not in Scotland, so that prosecutors are, as they were before, part of the State, and I want to see a duty of candor on the part of the Government.
“I had a debate about this just two or three months ago and essentially the new Labor Government agreed to do it and the question is how to ensure that this happens really quickly, so that we can get proper answers on what actually happened in the treatment of Alex Salmond, which frankly cast a huge shadow over the last few years of this great man’s life and, who knows, might even have hastened his death I don’t know, I can’t comment on that;
“So I want to see this exposed, open so that the Scottish Government is forced to answer the questions that it should answer about this matter.”
Mr Salmond petitioned the Court of First Instance last November alleging misconduct (the improper exercise of legal authority) by Scottish Government officials during the investigation into harassment claims.
When he filed the petition, he said no one person had been “responsible” for the Scottish Government’s botched investigation into the complaints, which was deemed unlawful and tainted by apparent bias.
He was reportedly seeking £3 million in damages and loss of profits over the case.
Alex Salmond can be seen smiling happily in the center of what is believed to be his last photo alongside his Alba Party president Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, who is wearing a tartan dress.
Mr MacAskill said yesterday he believed it was “likely” Mr Salmond’s family would pursue the case.
He told BBC Good Morning Scotland: “It’s a matter for the family to decide.”
“My own position is that I will respect what the family decides, but I certainly hope and believe that they are likely to continue that way, because that court case will expose, I think, misconduct between individuals and institutions that really has to be brought to light to allow that history appropriately remembers Alex Salmond.
An image from the event in North Macedonia over the weekend showed Salmond smiling happily at the center of a crowd of dignitaries in what is believed to be his last photo, alongside his Alba Party chairwoman Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh. who wears a tartan dress. .
Eyewitnesses said medical teams desperately tried to revive Mr Salmond but were unable to save him.
It comes after a Kremlin television chief said Salmond was “infinitely brave” and “almost Russian” in his battle for Scottish independence.
Margarita Simonyan, director of state media company RT, paid tribute to Salmond shortly after his death.
In a post on Saturday, he wrote: “Eternal memory to the infinitely brave, almost Russian, soulful and tireless fighter for the independence of his native Scotland, the former First Minister of this country and, finally, the RT presenter, Alex Salmond” .
‘Eternal Memory’ is a song sung in the Russian Orthodox Church for the solemn commemoration of the deceased.
RT is one of the largest English-language channels in Russia. 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.
UK ministers accused the political talk show of being an “appalling Kremlin propaganda programme”.
Salmond always insisted that he had complete autonomy over his 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 tributes in the House of Commons yesterday as MPs met for the first time since his death.
He said: ‘He served the people of Scotland for over 30 years as a member of this House, a member of the Scottish Parliament and, of course, two terms as First Minister of Scotland.
“He was a tireless campaigner for Scottish independence, securing the UK Government’s agreement for 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 pain” that Mr Salmond would not live to see an independent Scotland.
A book of condolence has also been opened in the Scottish Parliament following the death of Mr Salmond.
Visitors will be able to 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 the death of Mr Salmond.
His motion expresses “shock and sadness at the untimely death” and offers “deep condolences and condolences” to his family and friends.
It also marks his “many years of public service” as an MP, MSP and First Minister.