The Sofia City Court has ordered permanent arrest for Stoyan Denchev, who was detained for deliberate arson in Veliko Tarnovo and is accused of terrorism. According to the court, this charge is justified and if Denchev is given a lighter measure, there is a risk that he will commit a second crime. This decision can be appealed within three days before the Court of Appeals - Sofia.
The presiding judge noted that it is obvious that the arson was deliberate. This conclusion is based on the repeated attempts to set fire to dry grass, witness statements and video footage documenting the crime. The court added that defense attorney Simeon Tapov was right that after Denchev started the fire, he tried to put it out, but that attempt was unsuccessful. The fire had a real risk of spreading and endangering private homes. In addition, the Regional Directorate for Fire Safety and Population Protection in Veliko Tarnovo indicated that there was a risk of a nearby gas station catching fire.
Prosecutor Marina Nenkova stated that there was a real risk that Denchev would commit a new crime without detention, based on his criminal record. There are grounds to believe that he committed the crime he is accused of. She added that terrorist acts are directed against society and aim to cause fear and panic. Witnesses in the case emphasized that the residents of the two neighborhoods between which the fire was located were in real danger.
Attorney Tapov argued that there were not enough facts to impose the most serious measure of detention. According to him, there are no grounds for charging him with terrorism, only with arson. He added that the definition of “terrorism“ is not appropriate, since any crime that threatens society causes fear. In cases of terrorism, there are usually victims or injuries, which are absent here.
The lawyer requested that a measure of “house arrest“ be imposed. He emphasized that after the fire broke out, his client attempted to put it out, which is evident from the security camera video.
“I will not commit another crime if I am released from custody and I will not go into hiding. I ask for a lighter measure of detention,“ said Stoyan Denchev in his final speech before the court.
The fire between the neighborhoods of “Buzludzha“ and “Cholakovtsi“ broke out on Saturday night and lasted almost four hours. On Sunday, the mayor of Veliko Tarnovo, Daniel Panov, announced on social networks that the fire was intentional and published a video showing a man setting fire to branches and grass with a lighter.