Prosecutor files appeal after first‑instance verdict in "Talir 2"
A competent public prosecutor received the first‑instance verdict and lodged an appeal after the Basic Criminal Court acquitted Nikola Gruevski.
Published on: August 6, 2026 16:03 — The Public Prosecutor's Office announced that the competent public prosecutor has formally received the first‑instance verdict in the case known as "Talir 2" and has lodged an appeal against that decision.
In July 2026 the Basic Criminal Court Skopje acquitted former prime minister Nikola Gruevski of charges related to exceeding official powers and the unlawful financing of the construction of VMRO‑DPMNE's party headquarters.
Judge Daniela Aleksovska, when issuing the written verdict, noted that the amendments to the Criminal Code from 2023 must be taken into account and that those changes produced a modification of the indictment filed in the case.
What happens next
With the prosecution filing an appeal, the case will move into the appellate procedure. The appeal challenges the first‑instance judgment and requests its review under the applicable legal standards and the 2023 Criminal Code amendments cited by the court.
Officials from the Public Prosecutor's Office have confirmed only that the appeal was submitted; they have not released a timetable for the appellate court's handling of the complaint or for any potential new hearings.
The proceedings concern the financing and construction of the VMRO‑DPMNE party headquarters — allegations central to the "Talir 2" investigation — and the legal debate now focuses on how the 2023 Criminal Code changes affect the scope of the charges and the trial process.
Photo: press material from the event
