Skopje, 4 June 2024 (MIA) — The trial for the 'April 27 Organizers' case has been postponed to June 13, 2024.  

Judge Ilija Trpkov told Tuesday's hearing at the Skopje-based Criminal Court that he has received a notice from defense attorney Elenko Milanov, who is representing the defendant - former Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakievski, that due to health reasons of a close family member he could not attend today's hearing.

The defendants in this case include the former Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski, former Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakievski, former Minister of Education, Spiro Ristovski, as well as the former director of the Security and Counterintelligence Service (UBK), Vladimir Atanasovski.

They are accused of committing the criminal offense of 'terrorist threat to the constitutional order and security'.

In April 2024, the Skopje-based Appellate Court cancelled the first-instance ruling in the case and ordered retrial. The court said it has sustained the complaints of the four defendants - former parliament speaker Trajko Veljanoski, former minister of education Spiro Ristovski, former minister of transport and communications Mile Janakieski and former secret police chief Vladimir Angelovski, who were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to six-and-a-half years.

The case is led by Judge Ilija Trpkov, with public prosecutor Iskra Hadzhi Vasileva representing the Prosecution.

Photo: MIA archive