Pulse nightclub trial in Kocani continues with defense expert for Milka Edrovska

The trial over the Pulse nightclub fire in Kocani will continue today inside the courtroom at the Idrizovo prison of the Basic Criminal Court Skopje with the presentation of evidence proposed by the defense.

At the hearing the court is scheduled to hear an expert witness put forward by the defense of the accused Milka Edrovska — an engineer from the firm Venci Projekt. Previously the court concluded the testimony of expert Petre Ruseski, who prepared a construction expertise for the first accused Dejan Jovanov and two other defendants.

Disputes over construction findings

During a number of hearings the Public Prosecutor's Office challenged Ruseski’s conclusions about construction interventions in the building, the documentation and evacuation conditions, while Ruseski maintained his position that "from a construction aspect there was no reconstruction or change of purpose, but interior finishing and craft works."

The case is now in the evidentiary phase and will continue with the defense presenting evidence; the defense has announced more than 240 witnesses.

On 14 September this year the prosecution finished presenting its evidence. Across roughly 49 hearings the court recorded 1,390 material exhibits and heard 45 witnesses and five expert witnesses.

The trial began on 19 November 2025, eight months after the tragedy, when 35 natural persons and three legal entities were seated on the defendants’ bench. In the meantime one of the accused, Ljupcho Grnchishtanov, passed away. The case is presided over by Judge Dijana Gruevska-Ilievska and the indictment is represented by a team of 15 public prosecutors.

In the fire at the Pulse nightclub in Kocani on 16 March 2025, during a performance by the group DNK, 63 people died and more than 200 were injured. The event is one of the deadliest recent tragedies in the country.

Photo: press material from the event