Exactly at 10:00 today in The Pleven District Court begins the long-awaited 12th open session in the “Siyana“ case. The trial is about the serious accident near the village of Telish (occurred on March 31, 2025), in which 12-year-old Siyana Popova died and her grandfather was injured. Today carries an additional emotional charge, as the girl was supposed to turn 14. An hour before the start, relatives and friends gather for a peaceful protest in front of the Courthouse demanding a fair and speedy verdict.
What has been done in the case so far?
So far, the judicial system has held 11 open sessions. In the course of judicial and investigative actions, the magistrates are:
They questioned all key witnesses included in the initial indictment, as well as those additionally summoned at the request of the defense and the blackened family. Heard the conclusions of some of the experts on the initial forensic examinations. They rejected three consecutive requests of the defendant Georgi Aleksandrov to change his measure of restraint from “Detention in custody“ to a lighter one. He currently remains in custody.
Why is the trial stalling?
The main reason for the delay is the complex judicial auto-technical and medical expertise, which was appointed nearly half a year ago. As of the late hours of September 10, the conclusion had not yet been submitted to the registry of the District Court, since the medical part is not fully ready. Without this document, the court will probably be forced to schedule the next, 13th session.
Meanwhile, the defendant's defense has filed a new application for his release on the grounds that the case is dragging on for too long. The girl's father, Nikolay Popov, categorically opposes the change in the measure.