Skopje Criminal Court Judge Ivica Stefanovski today sentenced four defendants to life imprisonment for the kidnapping and murder of 14-year-old Vanja Gjorchevska and pensioner Pance Zhezhovski. The girl's father, who was accused of aiding and abetting the crime, was acquitted.
This was the first instance court ruling on the murders that shocked public opinion in North Macedonia. The murders occurred in late November and early December 2023.
The main defendant, Ljubco Palevski - Palco, as well as Velibor Manev, Bore Videvski and Vlatko Keshishev, were sentenced to life imprisonment. Meanwhile, Vanja's father, Aleksandar Gjorchevski, was found not guilty, as - as the judge said - the prosecution failed to prove his guilt.
"The prosecutor, despite his conviction, failed to prove that the accused Gjorchevski had committed the crime he was accused of. Therefore, he is acquitted. The other defendants are guilty because they cruelly took the life of the victim, Vanja Gjorchevska, causing her severe psychological suffering. Velibor took the girl out of the trunk, put her in a hole they had dug earlier, while Palevski shot her in the head with a gun, using a pillow to muffle the sound," said Judge Stefanovski.
The court also explained in detail the murder of pensioner Pance Zhezhovski, for which the defendants were also sentenced to life imprisonment.
According to the verdict, on November 22, 2023, "the defendants together kidnapped Panche Rzezhovski in Veles, and Ljubco Palevski shot him in the head. They then seized his 'Citroen' car to use in the kidnapping of the girl in Skopje."
Vanja was kidnapped on November 27, at the entrance to the building where she lived, while she was on her way to school. They tied her up, put her in a sleeping bag and then in the trunk of a Citroen, killing her near Skopje. The bodies of Vanja and Pance were found on December 3, 2023.
Vanja's father was suspected of having provided information about when his daughter would leave alone to go to school. He spent several months in detention and house arrest, stating that he had admitted his guilt after being beaten by the police. Today, the court released him from all responsibility and from the house arrest measure.
The prosecution does not give up on pursuing Vanja's father
The prosecution expressed dissatisfaction with the court's decision to release the girl's father and warned that it will appeal the decision. According to it, the court did not provide any convincing arguments for the release and there is sufficient evidence to convict him of aiding and abetting the crime.
"It is an indisputable fact that only the parents knew that the girl would go to school alone that day. Two of the defendants pointed to the father as the person who provided this information. If they did not have this information, there would be no kidnapping, and consequently no murder," said prosecutor Ana Stojkovic-Dimitrievska.
Aleksandar Gjorcevski's lawyer, Vladimir Tufegjic, said he does not understand why the prosecution insisted on including the girl's father in this process, when, according to him, it was clear from the beginning that there was no evidence.
He demanded answers from investigative bodies and police inspectors on several key issues.
"Was this involvement a way to distract attention from what should have been the real subject of the investigation? It was said in the hearing that since 2022, lists had been drawn up for the kidnapping and murder of people. They had even dug some holes in advance. Did they have logistical support from within the institutions? These are questions that the public deserves answers to," said lawyer Tufegjiq.
He added that he will consult with his client to see if he will file criminal charges for mistreatment, as he is not currently inclined to do so. In the meantime, they are also awaiting legal solutions to the torture allegations against his client.
Meanwhile, lawyers for those sentenced to life imprisonment warned that they would appeal the decision, claiming that there was insufficient evidence for such a severe sentence.
The four remain in custody. The prosecution said the life sentence proves that even the most horrific crimes do not go unsolved.
The trial began on September 20 and 35 sessions were held with public participation, despite the prosecution's request that they be closed.
Initially, the defendants denied guilt and claimed that the motive was only extortion and not murder, but the prosecution insisted that the main purpose was precisely extortion.
However, after nine months some of them expressed remorse, while Palevski for the first time publicly blamed Velibor Manev as the organizer, Bore Videvski as the executioner, and Vlatko Keshishev as the guard.
Manev stated that a member of the "Desna" party hid the blue bag with the gun and communication equipment on Palevski's orders. While Videvski said that the evidence was extracted by force and that the investigation had taken the wrong direction.
In a letter to the court, Vanya's mother demanded that this crime never be repeated.
"Such a crime cannot be tolerated. Parents should no longer cry and pray for justice. Today I am praying for justice. For justice for Vanja," wrote Zorica Gjorchevska.
The weapon used in the murders has not yet been found. It is listed as an unknown 9-millimeter caliber weapon. In his conclusions on June 20, Velibor Manev revealed that an employee of the People's Bank had taken it upon himself to destroy the weapon and the walkie-talkies used for communication.
After that, the prosecutor ordered the arrest of the person for the criminal offense of "aiding after the commission of a criminal offense." However, the case against Manev is separate and does not affect the trial for the kidnappings and murders of the two people./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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