Kocani inquiry commissions still inactive, parents demand action

Parliamentary inquiry structures that were supposed to clarify responsibility for the Kocani tragedy have still not started working, 17 months after the incident, and bereaved families say they have grown tired of announcements and want concrete steps and results.

Parents of some of the young people killed in the disaster say they have received no information from Parliament and demand action. "There is still nothing concrete. Seventeen months have passed since the tragedy, and the commissions that were announced still have not been formed, or we have no information that they have begun work. As parents, we constantly ask and expect concrete steps. After 17 months, we no longer need announcements and promises, but action, answers and results. If we receive any official information, we will share it immediately," says Aleksandar Naunov, president of the citizens' association "16 March 2025 – Kocani."

What remains unfinished

The inquiry commission for four major tragedies was formed in December, and in the same month Dimitar Apasiev, chair of the Permanent Inquiry Commission, submitted conclusions — but VMRO-DPMNE did not back them. Since then eight months have gone by without agreement on conclusions for that body, and the separate commission specifically for the Kocani case has not been completed because parliamentary groups have not nominated members.

Parliamentary officials say that proposals for members of the inquiry initiated by the parliamentary majority are still awaited so the commission can be completed and start work. Regarding the Permanent Inquiry Commission chaired by Apasiev, they say the group remains in the phase of reaching consensus among its members on the conclusions to be produced.

Apasiev has announced he will meet with parents, but his proposed conclusions were left unvoted after VMRO-DPMNE refused to support them. The draft conclusions condemned institutional dysfunction, flagged systemic weaknesses, pointed to possible concealment of responsibility, and called for urgent legislative and oversight changes — including a special law to compensate families of victims of the Kocani tragedy and tougher criminal liability for officials who neglect duties. The texts also urged the Public Prosecutor’s Office to act impartially, promptly and without selectivity to secure justice for victims and families.

Court proceedings continue: more than 30 people are charged in the Kocani case, including the owner of the illegal disco, and there are two separate trials against police officers. Some police were convicted for abuse of official position in decisions that are not yet final, while other trials are ongoing. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski told reporters that "There can be no justice from an Inquiry Commission," stressing that only judicial proceedings can deliver a just resolution, and expressing sympathy for the dead and support for those still receiving treatment.

Photo: Sloboden pechat/Slobodan Gjurikj