The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) has accused the government of turning the investigation into the Kochani tragedy into a “shameful farce” by selectively targeting former police officers. The party’s statement comes after the detention of several former police officers, including five retirees, in connection with the incident.

SDSM questions why the investigation appears to focus solely on the period between 2012 and 2022, and not on the actions of current officials who were in charge on the night of the tragedy. The party argues that the investigation should also scrutinize the roles of current chiefs and officials within the Ministry of Interior who were directly responsible for citizen safety on March 16, 2024.

Specifically, SDSM is asking why certain individuals, such as the head of the criminal police in Kochani, Tomo Donev, and the head of the OVR Kochani, Marija Cvetkovska Manevska, have not been included in the investigation. They also question the omission of the head of SVR Shtip and the head of the criminal police in Shtip from the investigation.

The party claims that this selective approach is a “humiliation of justice” and an attempt to protect officials close to Minister Toshkovski and the DPMNE party. SDSM is demanding the resignation of Toshkovski to ensure a non-selective investigation. They believe that if the investigation continues in this manner, citizens will lose all faith in the possibility of true justice for the victims of the tragedy.