The trial of police officers charged with endangering general safety, i.e. with failing to prevent the activation of pyrotechnics at the Pulse nightclub on March 16, 2025, will start on April 1. The charge against the 13 people, including Shtip and Kochani chiefs, drug and weapon inspectors, and shift managers, is the same as that in the ongoing trial, which started in November 2025.
The officers entered the Pulse nightclub ten minutes before the fire broke out based on a previous plan to inspect the club, but without specific directions on how to act inside. Their duty was to prevent the activation of the undeclared pyrotechnics, while they also had an obligation to manage the rush that occurred after the fire had broken out, according to the charge.
“The accused police officers did nothing with which they would facilitate a faster and safer exit for those present in the disco, thereby contributing to the deaths of 63 people and injuries to over 200”, it is pointed out in the charge as well.
The plan for inspecting the nightclub had been prepared two days before the fire. Instead of it being done through prior police checks, it was copied from previously prepared plans, the Prosecutor’s Office claims.