The Supreme Court of Cassation upheld the sentence of 20 years of imprisonment for Nikola Raichev, convicted of the murder of Angel Zdravkov in Pazardzhik. Thus, the most severe punishment imposed at first instance is finally replaced with a fixed-term prison sentence. The decision is from October 16, 2026 and is not subject to appeal.
What the court considered
Among the circumstances that influenced the amount of the sentence are Raichev's young age, his clean criminal record, partial confessions, cooperation in revealing the crime and expressed regret. The Court of Appeal in Plovdiv, whose decision was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Cassation, did not share the conclusion of the first instance that the defendant's remorse was only formal.
The proceedings also discussed Raichev's behavior before his surrender to the police. He recorded videos in his own voice. According to the stated reasons, this was seen as a psychological mechanism for dealing with what had happened, and not as evidence that he lacked remorse.
The court accepted that the attack was not planned in advance. The decision to commit the murder arose suddenly during a conflict related to jealousy. In addition, it was confirmed that the crime was committed in a particularly painful way for the victim.
How the final verdict was reached
On September 29, 2023, in the “Zapad“ in Pazardzhik, Angel Zdravkov was walking with Darina Barzakova, Raychev's ex-girlfriend. In the ensuing attack, Zdravkov received two stab wounds with a knife in the abdomen and thigh. He died of blood loss in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
On April 9, 2025, the Pazardzhik District Court sentenced Raychev to life imprisonment under a special regime. On March 30, 2026, the Plovdiv Court of Appeal changed the sentence to 20 years of imprisonment under the original strict regime, confirming the remaining part of the sentence.
Appeals were filed with the Supreme Court of Cassation by both Raychev's defense and Angel's parents - Mihaela and Nedyalko Zdravkovi, and by the civil plaintiff Denislava Zdravkova. The defense demanded the cancellation or reduction of the sentence, and the relatives of the murdered man challenged the replacement of the life sentence with 20 years of imprisonment.
„The decision is not subject to appeal.“With the final ruling of the Supreme Court of Cassation, the court procedure ends, and Nikola Raychev will serve a 20-year sentence under an initial strict regime.
Sources: trafficnews.bg, vks.bg, viamedia.bg