At the 45th Angels’ March in Kochani on Saturday evening, parents, relatives and citizens demanded institutional responsibility and an answer to the question of whether everyone who had an official duty acted conscientiously, professionally and within the framework of their authority.
The message of the march was directed at the institutions and the judicial process that should determine responsibility for the fire. The parents stressed that they are not seeking a verdict in advance, but rather answers, seriousness and dignity in the procedure. According to them, the question is not only what happened after the fire had already started, but whether everything that was legally and officially required to prevent the tragedy was done beforehand.
Fire victim’s sister Rozeta Dzhamova said in front of the Kochani Police Station that with every duty comes obligations, and with every authority comes responsibility. She said that the families in the courtroom listened to minutes, calls, oral orders and unsigned documents, but that the essential question remains whether the system acted in a timely and professional manner.
Aleksandar Naunov, president of the “16 March 2025 Kochani” association, says that no one is asking the street to judge and no one is asking for a verdict without evidence. According to Naunov, if the volume of evidence is a problem, then the question is how the system has been able to get away with so many irregularities and omissions for years.
The march was held after a hearing at which some of the police officers accused in the Pulse fire case claimed that they were accused because they were rescuing children. The prosecution previously announced that charges had been filed against 13 police officers related to the controls and actions at the Pulse nightclub in the period from March 14 to 16, 2025. According to the indictment, during the control, adequate measures were not taken to protect the persons present, nor was the use of undeclared pyrotechnic equipment prevented.
The Pulse nightclub fire occurred on March 16, 2025. The tragedy claimed 63 lives and injured 200. The main trial for the fire began on November 19, 2025 in the courtroom at the Idrizovo Correctional Facility, following the approval of the indictment.
