Families: "Justice is the least the state owes the victims" after Supreme Court annuls Laskarci verdict
After the Supreme Court annulled the verdict and sent the case back to the Appellate Court, 35 family members say the decision renews pain and weakens trust in the justice system.
"Justice is the least the state owes the victims," say the families after the Supreme Court annulled the verdict in the Laskarci bus crash and sent the case back for a new decision by the Appellate Court.
Families of the dead and injured said they received the Supreme Court ruling with disbelief and a sense of injustice, and argued that the move is a blow to society and further undermines public trust in the judiciary. The statement was signed by 35 family members.
"We believe that this decision further undermines the already seriously damaged public trust in the judiciary. This is not only a failure of the justice system, but also a serious blow to the whole of society," the statement signed by 35 family members reads.
Case history
The accident near Laskarci occurred almost seven years ago; 16 people lost their lives and more than 30 were seriously injured. Families say the Supreme Court's decision arrives after nearly six years of court proceedings that included more than 150 hearings.
Relatives told the press that the ruling revives painful memories and delays a final judicial resolution. They also said the written court reasoning for the Supreme Court's decision has not yet been officially delivered to them.
The families warned that the overturned verdict prolongs uncertainty and said they expect a clear and prompt explanation from the courts as the case goes back to the Appellate Court for retrial.
Photo: SDK.MK)
