Three accused police officers from Kocani pleaded not guilty at the trial for the Pulse nightclub fire on March 16, 2025, in which 63 people died and over 230 were injured.

The accused - Kire Bogatinov, Goran Lazarov and Aleksandar Temelkov - are charged with failing to properly document violations during inspections, entering inaccurate data about the company and the responsible person, allowing the nightclub to operate without proper oversight.

A police officer from Kocani testified that owner Dejan Jovanov had not cooperated with police during inspections. The witness stated that Jovanov "refused to provide documents" when asked for operating permits and ownership information, particularly regarding minors found in the nightclub.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 20, 2026. Additional trials for two more groups of police officers are ongoing.