Nine years. That's how long it's been since April 27, 2017 - the day a group of people stormed the Macedonian Parliament, attacked MPs and journalists, and left scenes Macedonia hasn't forgotten - not in the courts, not in the political reshuffles. But whether justice was actually served still hangs without a clear answer.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, commenting on the Court of Appeal's ruling in the case, said that "innocent people were declared terrorists" and that this was a political frame-up by the previous government. At the same time, he acknowledged that "there should have been accountability for that offense" - admitting violence happened, while contesting the legal classification. A thin line drawn with a clear intention.

Some of those convicted are still seeking a retrial. Cases involving journalists tied to April 27 remain stuck at the appellate level. Lawsuits continue - among them a complaint from Centar against the former public prosecutor Katica Janeva over how she handled this case.

The ninth anniversary brings no closure. It brings new layers of the same question: was "Bloody Thursday" an attempted coup, a political frame-up, or something in between - and is the judicial system even capable of giving an answer that doesn't depend on who currently holds power?

Macedonia knows its unwritten rules: justice arrives late, if at all, and its shape depends heavily on whom it suits. Nine years later, April 27 is a live wound for exactly that reason.