The Appellate Court in Skopje is holding a public hearing on appeals against the life sentences imposed for the murders of 14-year-old Vanja Gjorchevska from Skopje and 74-year-old Panche Zhezhovski from Veles.

The Basic Criminal Court on June 25, 2025 sentenced Ljupcho Palevski, Velibor Manev, Bore Videvski and Vlatko Kesishev to life imprisonment for kidnapping and murder. According to the indictment, the defendants jointly planned the kidnapping of the 14-year-old girl with the aim of extorting a ransom from the family.

The two victims were reported missing in November 2023, and their bodies were found in December of the same year near Skopje and Veles. The fifth defendant, Aleksandar Gjorchevski, Vanja's father, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence.

The defense filed appeals against the verdicts, seeking reduction or annulment of the life sentences. The Appellate Court is expected to decide whether to uphold, amend or overturn the first-instance verdicts. The case attracted enormous public attention and sparked a debate about the effectiveness of the judicial system in the country.