Kazanlak residents demanded a fair trial and punishment for the death of 47-year-old Daniel Kiskinov, in connection with which two police officers from the local District Administration were charged with premeditated murder committed with particular cruelty. Residents of the city gathered at the central square “Sevtopolis“, where they paid tribute to the memory of the deceased and expressed their concerns regarding the case, BTA reported.
The gathered citizens demanded greater publicity for the case and believe that it is not an isolated one. The event is both a farewell to Daniel Kiskinov and a protest against police violence, explained the organizers, who emphasized that their gathering is not of a campaigning nature.
“A uniform does not give the right to murder“ – the protesters on the central square united around this, demanding that the higher authorities in the Ministry of Interior take responsibility and that there be true justice with all its weight. The protesters insisted that measures be taken so that there are no more such cases, and that people who do not shed blood stains on the profession work in the Ministry of Interior.
The people of Kazanlak called for the truth to be heard, for the chronology of events to be strictly followed, and for all persons involved in the case to be brought to justice.
We want it to be announced that this is not a matter of a “short stick“ and for a blow at the wrong time and the forensic examination clearly shows it, the organizers commented. Among the questions that the city residents insisted on getting an answer to are who allowed this to happen, who and how often monitors the emotional and physical condition of the police officers, do they receive care for dealing with professional stress.
“We want a complete revision of the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs“, commented Ivan Kolev, who is among the organizers of today's initiative. This is the structure that should take care of us and our children, we must pay very serious attention to this problem, he said and emphasized that everyone wants to feel calm not only about their belongings, but also about their lives, and cases like this prove that this is not the case. “What is the guarantee that if someone files a report against me tomorrow, the same thing won't happen to me?“, he asked and emphasized that the deceased was “attacked and any of us can be attacked“.
“I can't understand what it's like to hit a fallen person who is screaming in pain and keep kicking him”, said Pavel Belishki and expressed the opinion that it should be checked how such people are appointed in the Ministry of Interior system.
At the end of the event, messages from relatives and acquaintances of the deceased Daniel Kiskinov were read. All of them insist “his name be cleared“ and are categorical that he could not have stolen and displayed any form of violence.
The case of Daniel Kiskinov's death dates back to February 26. A theft report was filed against him, to which the police responded.
According to the prosecutor's office, he died as a result of severe, non-life-threatening injuries sustained during the arrest. The tragic incident caused strong public discontent among the residents of Kazanlak and the region.
The two defendants in the man's death have been detained, and a few days ago the Plovdiv Court of Appeal confirmed the ruling of the Stara Zagora court to take a permanent measure of detention “detention“ against them.
The Court of Appeal considered that the prosecution's case had a good evidentiary basis, formed by witness statements, the findings of the forensic medical examinations of the victim and the accused, and an expert sound recording that reproduces the blows from the beating and the exclamation “You killed me“ on the part of the victim, as well as the fact that the defendants themselves, as well as the eyewitness of the first part of the incident, do not claim that there was any significant resistance on the part of the victim, requiring excessive physical force to control him.