Some 1 500 lawmakers, civil servants and foreign guests have been freed from the Parliament building after police special forces formed a human cordon to break a siege by protesters demanding action on a new ID law.
Nearly 3 000 people formed a chain around Bosnia’s Parliament on Thursday, trapping politicians, civil service workers and foreign guests attending an investment meeting.
The protesters demanded a new law on personal ID numbers after the old one lapsed in February, leaving all babies born since without personal documents.
Protesters intended to prevent lawmakers from leaving until they passed new legislation but were persuaded to give in because of the foreigners trapped inside.
The crowd dispersed after the evacuation at around 4 a.m. local time on Friday.