Protesters in Plovdiv Call for Fair Trial in Brutal Murder Case, Changes to Penal Code

Kristina Ivanova, BTA correspondent Irina Shopova

Protesters outside the Courthouse in Plovdiv call for a fair trial and amendments to the Penal Code in the murder of Georgi Kuzev, August 13, 2026 (BTA Photo/Boyan Botev)

Plovdiv, South Central Bulgaria,

13.08.2026 11:10

(BTA)

Protesters gathered outside the Courthouse in Plovdiv on Thursday, calling for a fair trial in the brutal murder of Georgi Kuzev, and for amendments to the Penal Code.

The two girls among the five teenagers charged with the murder on Youth Hill in Plovdiv are appealing their detention measures before the Court of Appeal on Thursday. The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. On August 7, the Plovdiv District Court ordered all five defendants to remain in custody.

A petition by the organizers of the protest calls for amendments to Article 63 of the Penal Code, which concerns penalties for crimes committed by minors. The petition states that a bill should be drafted and submitted providing for more severe criminal liability for minors aged 16 and over when they have intentionally committed an offense of exceptionally high public danger. It proposes that, in cases of intentional homicide and other explicitly specified serious crimes, the automatic reduction of the sentence solely on the grounds that the perpetrator is a minor should be abolished.

The protesters are also calling for programmes to prevent group violence, the early identification of aggressive behaviour, and the effective social reintegration of juvenile offenders.

The protest was organized on social media.

/RD/