Protests against the conditional early release of Kristian Nikolov were held in front of the Courthouse in Sofia and in Varna. Citizens, journalists and politicians gathered in the capital, and the organizer of the event was Nikolay Popov, father of the deceased 12-year-old Siyana.
The reason is a ruling by the Sofia City Court, which allowed Nikolov's conditional early release. He is serving a 9-year sentence for the accident in which in 2020 on the capital's “Cherni Vrah“ journalist Milen Tsvetkov died.
The Prosecutor's Office protests the court ruling
The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office has filed a protest against the decision of the first instance court. The prosecutor's office is demanding that the Sofia Court of Appeals overturn the ruling and disregard the request for early release.
The prosecutor's office points out that conditional early release is possible only when the legal requirements are met, including that the convict has shown reformation. According to the state prosecution, these prerequisites have not been sufficiently proven.
Appellate Court to Consider
After the protest, the Sofia City Court must send the case to the Sofia Court of Appeal. It is the appellate court that will decide whether the decision on conditional early release should remain in force or be overturned.
Nikolov was sentenced in 2023 to 9 years in prison for causing the death of Milen Tsvetkov. The accident occurred on Easter Day in 2020 on “Cherni Vrah“ Boulevard in Sofia.
Sources: bntnews.bg