Pulse nightclub trial: 49 hearings, 1,390 exhibits presented
Prosecution finished presenting evidence on 14 September; defence evidence begins 1 October with 244 witnesses listed.
The criminal trial over the Pulse nightclub fire in Kočani, which left 63 people dead and more than 200 injured, has so far proceeded without any postponements: the court reported a total of 49 hearings to date, 40 of them held this year, and another 15 scheduled through the end of 2026.
Prosecution finishes evidence; defence prepares its case
On 14 September the prosecution completed presenting its evidence. According to the court briefing, prosecutors introduced 1,390 material exhibits and heard 45 witnesses and five expert witnesses.
From 1 October the defence will begin presenting its evidence. Defence teams have announced 244 witnesses they intend to call.
The pre-trial detention of the first accused, Dejan Jovanov-Deko, legally expires on 3 October. The defence has said it will offer a property guarantee of nearly 200,000 euros, although such a guarantee is not mandatory under the law.
“They have not been returned from the Public Prosecutor's Office to date. There is no opinion and we cannot decide. It expires on 3 October. We will wait until Friday,” court officials said at the briefing in the Basic Criminal Court Skopje.
The case is in the evidentiary phase before Judge Diana Gruevska-Ilievska. The indictment is being prosecuted by a team of 15 public prosecutors.
The fire broke out in the Pulse nightclub in Kočani on 16 March 2025 during a performance by the band DNK; 63 people were killed and more than 200 were injured. The blaze is counted among the deadliest recent tragedies in the country.
Photo: press material from the event
