Defense attorney Ivana Kocevska, who is on the defense team of prime suspect Dejan Jovanov accused in the Pulse nightclub fire in Kochani, at today’s hearing requested that the Prosecutor’s Office ex officio initiate proceedings due to threats made by the victims’ parents towards her client, as well as that the public be excluded from the trial. The request is related to the threats made at the previous hearing, when, upon the request that Jovanov’s detention be replaced with house arrest due to health reasons, some of the parents shouted slurs and threats to take justice in their own hands if his house arrest is approved.
“Considering the previous hearing, when before the beginning I, as the defense attorney of the first defendant, requested the termination of the detention without public pressure, it was the public, without any respect for the Court, that threatened Dejan Jovanov and insulted me. I was shocked by such behavior of the public. Now I am officially submitting a proposal to exclude the public from the further course of the procedure, because the court is obliged to establish order in this courtroom. The court is obliged to exclude the public due to reactions that deny the defendants the right to defend their theses. The defendants have the impression that they have been convicted even before the end of the procedure and that there is selectivity in the application of measures to ensure attendance,” said Kocevska.
“There were direct threats from the public towards the first defendant in this procedure and I request that they be excluded,” stressed attorney Kocevska.
She also stated that at the end of the previous hearing, the parents of the deceased blocked her way out of the parking lot in front of the courtroom, which is why the police intervened.
“I’m here to defend a client, not to fear for my safety,” added Kocevska.
Judge Diana Gruevska Ilievska said that the persons for whom Kocevska is seeking exclusion are not the public, but rather damaged in the proceedings and that they were warned about their behavior at the hearing.
The judge noted that so far no threat has been noted in the minutes, regardless of which side it comes from.
“First, they will be warned, then they will be excluded and held accountable. It is known when the public is excluded, and during this period they are not the public, but damaged in the proceedings. If necessary, they can be individually excluded,” the judge said.
Regarding the incident in the parking lot, the judge said that measures have been taken with changes to the parking lot schedule.
