North Macedonia police officers trial over Pulse nightclub fire

On a hearing at the Basic Criminal Court in Skopje, 13 police officers and senior officials were brought before the court on charges of endangering public safety in connection with the March 16 2025 blaze at the Pulse nightclub in Kocani. The fire killed 63 people, most of them young adults, and injured more than 200.

Prosecutors say the officers failed to conduct required safety checks, ignored visible pyrotechnics, and signed an emergency control plan only after the fire had started, contributing to the high death toll. The defence argues the officers followed standard procedures, were present only briefly, and could not have anticipated the use of pyrotechnics.

The court dismissed a motion to remove Judge Lidija Petrovska, whose relative is married to a lawyer representing victims, reasoning that there was no intensive communication that would create a conflict. The preparatory hearing ended with the judge ordering that a full trial be scheduled.