site.btaCourt Hears Defendants in Deadly North Macedonia Nightclub Fire Case

The trial for the fire at the Pulse nightclub in Kocani, North Macedonia, which killed 63 people on March 16, 2025, continued on Thursday with opening statements from the defence attorneys for some of the defendants. The lawyers assessed the indictment as incomplete and lacking concrete evidence of the actions of all 35 individuals and three legal entities charged.

Parents of the victims placed a banner near the courtroom that read "63 shadows will follow you – every gaze awaits justice", the reason being that at the previous hearing on December 2, none of the defendants pleaded guilty.

The defence of the nightclub owner, Dejan Jovanov, argued that Jovanov is no monster and that DNK, the band that was scheduled to perform on the night of the accident, was the one that brought the pyrotechnic devices that ultimately started the fire without having informed the owner.

The lawyers representing the municipal building inspectors in Kocani stated that their clients were unable to carry out inspections at Pulse, because they had never received an order from the municipality to do so but also because of legal restrictions on their powers.

Former Kocani mayor Ratko Dimitrovski said that not only did he have no intention of committing the crime of which he is accused, but also that he was the only one who reacted by submitting a request to the authorities not to issue a work permit or license for the facility even before it began operating.

The defence of the other former mayors of Kocani, Nikolco Iliev and Ljupco Papazov, argued that the proceedings are based on an incomplete investigation and without facts that directly link the defendants to the tragedy. The lawyers stated that their clients acted in accordance with the law and regulations, while the responsibility for supervision and regulation lies with other institutions. The lawyers said that an unfair conviction would be a "second tragedy".

Due to the public interest in the case, which is taking place in the courtroom at the Idrizovo correctional facility, the proceedings are broadcast online on the channel of North Macedonia's state news agency MIA.

During the next hearing scheduled for December 10, the lawyers of the other defendants in the Kocani fire case will deliver their opening statements. A total of 35 individuals and three legal entities have been charged.