Skopje, 6 December 2023 (MIA) – The Ministry of Justice is expected to prepare on Wednesday a request for the extradition of Ljupcho Palevski-Palcho, the prime suspect in the murder of Vanja Gjorchevska and Panche Zhezhovski, who was arrested in Turkey on Tuesday. 

The Justice Ministry told MIA that information and documentation is currently being collected from the institutions for the implementation of the extradition procedure, adding that once everything is ready, the Minister of Justice Krenar Lloga is expected to hold a press conference to inform the public.  

Ljupcho Palevski-Palcho, the prime suspect in the murder of Vanja Gjorchevska and Panche Zhezhovski, was arrested in Turkey on Tuesday, and the Skopje-based Criminal Court ordered the remaining four suspects to spend another 30 days in detention as requested by the Public Prosecutor's Office which opened an investigation into two brutal murders. This is the latest information that the authorities gave late Tuesday on the murders of 14-year-old Vanja Gjorchevska, who was found dead near Skopje on December 3 after she was reported missing on November 27, and 74-year-old Panche Zhezhovski who was found dead near Veles on December 3 after he was reported missing on November 24.  

The Public Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday that an investigation is launched against five people, of whom one is charged with abduction and murder, three are charged with abduction and accessory to murder, whereas one for accessory to abduction.

Photo: MIA archive