Final: 20 Years in Prison for Nikola Raychev for Murder in Pazardzhik

The Supreme Court of Cassation confirmed the 20-year prison sentence for Nikola Raychev for the murder of Angel Zdravkov in Pazardzhik in September 2023. The Court partially overturned the decision of the Plovdiv Appellate Court, seeking a change in the qualification, but left the punishment unchanged.

Before the case reached the Supreme Court, Raychev was found guilty by the Pazardzhik District Court of the murder on 29 September 2023. According to the indictment, he delivered two stab wounds with a knife, which led to the youth's death. Initially Raychev received a life imprisonment sentence and a requirement to pay compensation to three relatives of the victim – 300,000 leva for each.

The Plovdiv Appellate Court reduced the sentence to 20 years in prison. The Supreme Court confirmed this sanction, but removed the qualification of premeditated murder. The court found that there is sufficient evidence of intentional murder, but not that Raychev had made a premeditated decision for the act and had prepared for it. The investigation established that the decision to commit the murder arose immediately after Raychev saw the victim with a witness, and the subsequent escalation of emotions did not correspond to the legal concept of premeditation.

Why does the 20-year sentence remain? The Supreme Court holds that the murder was committed intentionally and in a particularly cruel manner, with the victim experiencing strong physical pain and psychological suffering. The removal of premeditation is not sufficient grounds for reducing the punishment, as 20 years is the maximum harsh sanction foreseen for such a crime. The victim’s relatives requested a harsher punishment, but their demands were not satisfied.

The Supreme Court's decision is on cassation appeals by Nikola Raychev, as well as by the private prosecutors and civil claimants. After notice from the prosecution of actions taken to enforce the punishment, the court act was published on the Supreme Court of Cassation website.

Source: bTV Новините