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14 clusters · 32 sources · 76 days · First seen · Last updated

Categories: CRIME · POLITICS

North Macedonia Pulse fire trial and protests

Overview

The criminal trial over the March 16 2025 fire at the Pulse nightclub in Kočani continues in the Idrizovo court before Judge Dijana Gruevska‑Ilievska. Prosecutors, now a team of 15, maintain that the venue lacked required technical standards, a cabaret licence and sufficient emergency exits for the roughly 200 patrons expected. The defence again seeks the removal of prosecutor Natasha Saramandova for alleged bias, a request pending decision by state prosecutor Nedan Savесki.

Parents and relatives of the 63 victims staged their 46th “March for the Angels” on 28 June 2026, demanding accountability and pledging to keep protesting until justice is served. Alexander Naunov reiterated the families’ resolve to “fight to the last moment for the truth.”

On 3 July 2026, a public prosecutor’s office indicted eight officials of the State Labour Inspectorate for negligent performance of duties, alleging they failed to conduct any inspections of the Pulse venue between 2022 and the fire. The indictment adds a new dimension of institutional accountability to the ongoing investigation.

During the trial, forensic expert Professor Goran Markovski testified that the conversion of the former industrial building into a nightclub ignored all relevant safety regulations, leading to roof collapse and rapid flame spread. Further forensic analysis on 13 July 2026 reaffirmed a total breach of building‑safety standards, emphasizing that institutional oversight, not public vigilance, must ensure visitor safety.

On 18 July 2026, families held the 47th “March for the Angels,” marching from Revolution Park to the municipal building and confronting multiple state agencies. Naunov urged courts to base decisions solely on facts, noting that “your decision will not bring back our children, but it can show that no one is above the law and that human life is paramount.”

Timeline

  1. 15 days ago

    [CRIME] 5 sources
    Koçan nightclub fire sparks 47th “March for Angels” protest

    A fire at Koçan’s Puls nightclub killed 63, injured 218; parents staged the 47th “March for Angels” demanding accountability and a fact‑based court decision.

  2. 20 days ago

    [CRIME] 3 sources
    Kocani Pulse discotheque fire reveals total breach of building safety standards

    Forensic report on the Kocani Pulse discotheque fire finds total violation of building safety standards, causing 63 deaths and over 200 injuries.

  3. 30 days ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    Pulse nightclub inspectors indicted for years of missed safety checks in Kočani

    Eight State Labour Inspectorate officials in Kočani have been indicted for neglecting to inspect the Pulse nightclub from 2022‑2025, enabling illegal operation and unsafe conditions that preceded a fatal fire.

  4. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 3 sources
    Pulse nightclub fire victims' parents protest in Kocani

    Parents of Pulse nightclub fire victims marched in Kocani, demanding justice and the removal of prosecutor Natasha Sarandova, citing alleged corruption and trial bias.

  5. about 1 month ago

    [CRIME] 14 sources
    Pulse nightclub fire trial continues in Kočani, Macedonia

    The Pulse nightclub fire that killed 63 in Kočani is now in trial, with prosecutors showing the club lacked licences and safety standards, while parents protest and defence seeks the removal of a prosecutor.

  6. about 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 4 sources
    Kocani Parents Stage 45th March for Angels to Demand Official Accountability

    Parents of victims from Kocani's 'Pulse' fire held the 45th March for Angels, demanding accountability from officials over the tragedy, with calls for evidence and systemic reform.

  7. 2 months ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    Kočani Pulse Nightclub Fire Trial Advances with New Evidence

    The trial over the 16 March 2025 Pulse nightclub fire in Kočani, which killed 63 and injured over 200, continued as prosecutors presented new municipal inspection and ownership documents, while the defence decr

  8. 2 months ago

    [CRIME] 3 sources
    Families of Pulse Nightclub Victims Hold 44th “March for the Angels” in North Macedonia

    Families of the 63 Pulse nightclub victims in Kocani, North Macedonia, held the 44th “March for the Angels”, demanding transparent justice and honoring the fallen.

  9. 2 months ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    North Macedonia trial over Pulse nightclub fire presents new licensing evidence

    North Macedonia's court hearing on the Pulse nightclub fire—63 dead, 200 injured—unveiled licensing and corporate evidence linking the venue to illegal operation and key managers.

  10. 3 months ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    Koçan nightclub fire prompts Angel March in Vinica

    The March 16 fire at Koçan’s Puls club killed 63; families stage the ‘Angel March’ in Vinica demanding justice.

  11. 3 months ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Vinica March Honors 63 Victims of Pulse Nightclub Fire in Kocani

    Vinica residents marched to demand justice for the 63 dead and hundreds injured in the Pulse nightclub fire in Kocani.

  12. 3 months ago

    [CRIME] 3 sources
    Kocani Pulse nightclub fire sparks trial over safety lapses

    Trial proceeds for the March 2025 Kocani Pulse nightclub fire, citing missing exits, pyrotechnics, and disputed witness testimonies.

  13. 3 months ago

    [CRIME] 3 sources
    North Macedonia police officers trial over Pulse nightclub fire

    13 Macedonian police officers go on trial for negligence after a fire at Kocani’s Pulse nightclub killed 63.

  14. 3 months ago

    [CRIME] 11 sources
    Pulse nightclub fire trial proceeds in North Macedonia

    Trial continues for the 2025 Pulse nightclub fire in Kočani, with key witness statements read in court.

Sources

24-ore.com · 360stepeni.mk · 365.com.mk · a1on.mk · aktuale.mk · albeu.com · alfa.mk · brif.mk · denesen.mk · istokpress.mk · koha.mk · libertas.mk · lider.mk · nezavisen.mk · novamakedonija.com.mk · novatv.mk · off.net.mk · opserver.mk · portalb.mk · press24.mk · republika.mk · shenja.tv · sitel.com.mk · skopje1.mk · skopjeinfo.mk · slobodenpecat.mk · telegrafi.com · tetovasot.com · tocka.com.mk · zhurnal.mk · zoom.mk · zurnal.mk