Tetovo, 26 June 2024 (MIA) -  A Tetovo court on Wednesday postponed the start of the retrial involving the deadly fire in a modular hospital for September 25 because officials of the Tetovo Clinical Hospital were a no-show.

The Appellate Court in April ordered the former directors of the Tetovo Hospital, Florin Besimi and Artan Etemi, to be put on retrial as well as the Tetovo Clinical Hospital, being a legal entity. Also in April, the Appellate Court dismissed the complaint of the prosecution upholding the acquital of doctor Boban Vuchevski.

The Tetovo court in June 2023 sentenced Florin Besimi and Artan Etemi to probation after being tried for "severe deeds against the general safety", whereas the Tetovo Clinical Hospital was found guilty of "causing general endangerment" after the modular hospital was caught on fire, killing 14 people. The court acquited doctor Vuchevski and the hospital for the charge "failure to act according to heath regulations."

According to the verdict, Florin Besimi and Artan Etemi were sentenced to probation for three years. The Tetovo Clinical Hospital was ordered to pay one million denars in famages.

On 8 September 2021, 14 people died when a fire broke out in a modular hospital erected as part of the Tetovo hospital.