Prosecutor Borche Janev, in his opening statements at the trial over the Kochani fire, stated that the fire had claimed not only the Pulse nightclub, but also the illusion that the system protected and the belief that the authorities “are here to prevent a tragedy”.
The process had seen a tense atmosphere since as early as the morning. When Pulse’s owner, Dejan Jovanov, was being taken to the courtroom by police, parents of those killed were shouting “Murderer”.
Some parents of those killed said they hoped there would be justice, whereas others are not optimistic that that would happen, saying they feared there would be a scenario similar to the processes over the cases concerning the Laskarci crash and other tragedies. The process itself saw attempts to delay the start.
The defense reacted by saying that part of the evidence, more specifically, the communication between members and defendants was in Albanian and hadn’t been translated. However, Judge Dijana Gruevska Ilievska was adamant that there would be no delay. The next hearing will be held on November 25.