Skopje, 9 June 2025 (MIA) – Taking of someone’s life in a violent manner, especially the life of a child, is not only an act of cruelty and brutality, but also a direct attack against humanity, the prosecutor Zhaklina Trajkovska said delivering closing arguments in the trial of the men accused of killing the teenager, Vanja Gjorchevska, and the pensioner, Panche Zhezhovski.

At the trial held at the Skopje Criminal Court, she said that such atrocity deserves “not only a legal but also a moral condemnation.” Motivated by substantial monetary rewards, the defendants created “a film scenario, a morbid plan,” said the prosecutor. 

“Presenting evidence, the prosecution proved the defendants had committed the crimes they are accused of,” said Trajkovska. 

Ljupcho Palevski, Vlatko Keshishev, Bore Videvski and Velibor Manev are accused of two murders and two kidnappings. Aleksandar Gjorchevski is accused of kidnapping. 

The defendants, said the prosecutor, didn’t show even the slightest sign of humanity when kidnapping Vanja despite being parents themselves.

“After killing Panche, all of the defendants didn’t show any human sympathy,” she said. 

Today, the prosecution presented a detailed timeline of the kidnappings.

In her closing arguments, the prosecutor elaborated in detail the developments included in the evidence that describe how Vanja and Panche had been kidnapped and killed. 

According to the indictment, Ljupcho Palevski, Vlatko Keshishev, Bore Videvski and Velibor Manev and Aleksandar Gjorchevski planned to kidnap Vanja, 14, in order to force a member of her close family to pay ransom. Panche Zhezhovski was kidnapped, according to the indictment, to force him to give the defendants his vehicle in order to use it for the kidnapping of the teenager in Skopje. 

At the start of the trial, the men pleaded not guilty with Palevski insisting the trial that is a politically motivated process against him. 

Vanja and Panche were reported missing on November 27 and November 24, 2023. On December 3, 2023, their dead bodies were near Skopje and Veles. 

MIA file photo