Trial over the “Pulse” tragedy: 49 hearings held, 45 witnesses and five experts heard

The trial over the fire at the “Pulse” nightclub in Kočani has continued without a single postponement since it began. The tragedy, which occurred during a performance by the group DNA, left 63 people dead and more than 200 others injured.

So far, 49 hearings have been held, 40 of them this year. The court has scheduled a further 15 hearings, which are expected to take place by the end of 2026. These figures were made public today during a briefing at the Basic Criminal Court in Skopje.

On September 14, the presentation of evidence submitted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office was completed. At this stage, 1,390 pieces of material evidence were presented, and 45 witnesses and five experts were questioned.

The defense is set to begin presenting its evidence on October 1. It has announced 244 witnesses for this stage.

The pretrial detention order for the first defendant, Dejan Jovanov-Deko, legally expires on October 3. The defense has said it will offer a property guarantee worth nearly 200,000 euros, although such a guarantee is not required.

The court clarified that it cannot rule on the matter without first receiving the position of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. “As of today, it has not been returned by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. We have no opinion, and for that reason we cannot make a decision. The deadline expires on October 3. We will wait until Friday,” officials said during the briefing at the Criminal Court.

The case is currently at the evidence-taking stage. The trial is being presided over by Judge Dijana Gruevska-Ilievska, while the prosecution is represented by a team of 15 public prosecutors.

The fire at the “Pulse” nightclub in Kočani broke out on March 16, 2025, during a performance by the group DNA. With 63 victims and more than 200 people injured, the incident is considered one of the worst tragedies in North Macedonia’s recent history.