The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office pleaded guilty and sentenced the defendant Al Ghazzi to 18 years in prison for the murder of 32-year-old Iliyan Iliev. The sentence imposed by the court will be served under an initial strict regime.
The investigation was conducted by the SDVR under the leadership and supervision of the SGP. The indictment was filed with the court on January 27, 2023.
On April 17, 2024, the Sofia City Court found the defendant guilty of the fact that on January 9, 2022, at around 10:40 p.m. in the capital's residential area “Lyulin“, intentionally killed Iliev by stabbing him with a knife, penetrating the chest, and affecting the lung and carotid artery. According to the prosecution, the murder was committed for hooligan motives.
In addition, the Sofia City Court enforced the previous sentence of 1 year and 6 months “imprisonment“. On May 12, 2025, the Sofia Court of Appeal confirmed the verdict of the Sofia City Court, and the Supreme Court of Cassation upheld the decision, which is now final and not subject to appeal.
The defendant committed the murder during the probationary period of a previous conviction. We recall that Iliyan Iliev was stabbed after an argument over a fire. The 23-year-old criminal Dennis Mustafa Kamal Al Ghazi was arrested for the murder, and he surrendered to the police after two days of hiding.