Puls nightclub trial: 49 hearings held, defence to call 244 witnesses

The criminal trial over the Puls nightclub fire in Kochani has proceeded without any postponements: 49 hearings have been held so far, the Basic Criminal Court in Skopje reported, and none were delayed.

Of the 49 hearings, 40 took place this year, and the court has scheduled another 15 sessions through the end of 2026. Court officials gave the latest status at a briefing in the Basic Criminal Court in Skopje.

On September 14 the prosecution finished presenting its case. Prosecutors introduced 1,390 material exhibits and heard testimony from 45 witnesses and five expert witnesses.

Defense phase and detention deadline

From October 1 the defence will begin presenting evidence; the defence announced it intends to call 244 witnesses. The pre-trial detention of the first accused, Dejan Jovanov - Deko, legally expires on October 3. Defence lawyers said they will file a property guarantee of about 200,000 euros, although that is not mandatory.

Court officials said the court cannot rule on the detention without receiving an opinion from the Public Prosecutor's Office. "Until today they have not been returned by the Public Prosecutor's Office. There is no opinion and we cannot decide. It expires on October 3. We will wait until Friday," they said at the briefing at the Criminal Court.

The case is in the evidentiary phase before Judge Diana Gruevska-Ilievska. The indictment is being handled by a team of 15 public prosecutors.

The fire at the Puls nightclub in Kochani occurred on March 16, 2025, during a performance by the band DNK. Sixty-three people were killed and more than 200 were injured; the blaze remains one of the most severe peacetime tragedies in the country's recent history.

Photo: MIA