The Sofia City Court (SCC) released 34-year-old Miroslav Vassilev, accused of the serious accident on the Northern Tangent, in which a police officer died on December 1, 2025, on bail of 20,000 leva. The magistrates reviewed their own ruling and drastically reduced the amount of 50,000 leva that the higher instance had imposed, accepting the defense's argument that it was too much for the accused.
The prosecution insisted on the harshest measure – "detention in custody", as Vassilev failed to pay the full amount of the previously set bail. However, the court rejected this request, stating that the detention measure should not become a "preliminary property sanction".
The judicial saga with Vassilev's measure went through a series of contradictory decisions, which illustrate the lack of a clear standard when determining the "price of freedom" in Bulgarian justice:
December 4: Sofia City Court set bail at 5,000 leva. This provoked a sharp reaction from the Ministry of Interior unions, who stated that "the life of a police officer is not worth 5,000 leva".
December 11: The Court of Appeal increased the amount tenfold – to 50,000 leva.
January 6: Sofia City Court reduces the amount to 20,000 leva - exactly as much as Vassilev managed to collect from friends and loans.
"If the bail is not adjusted to the defendant's financial situation, it will constitute a financial penalty that the defendant bears in advance," the defense pleaded in the courtroom today. The lawyer emphasized that his client's income for the last six months is 21,000 leva, and he does not own any real estate, except for two cars.
The incident that shook the capital took place in the early hours of December 1. Then Vassilev, driving his BMW, rammed into a police car securing an accident scene on the Northern Tangent (where a Serbian TIR had previously hit a pedestrian).
According to the prosecutor's office, Vassilev was traveling at a speed of 149 km/h in the area. Despite the high speed and the fatal outcome for the 42-year-old police officer, the charge is for "causing death by negligence".
Key factors for the court's lighter treatment are the driver's clean criminal record, the lack of alcohol and drugs in his blood, as well as the fact that he himself reported the incident to 112 immediately after the impact.
The court's decision is not final and is subject to protest by the prosecutor's office, which continues to insist that Vassilev should be in custody.