site.btaInterior Minister Stresses Seriousness of Assault on Ruse Police Chief

Speaking on Nova TV on Sunday, Interior Minister Daniel Mitov commented on the recent assault on Ruse Police Chief Nikolay Kozhuharov, emphasizing the seriousness of the incident. "This is not an innocuous incident. The director of the regional police department in Ruse identified himself. When a police officer identifies themselves and intervenes to stop anti-social behavior, they must be obeyed," Mitov added.

"No one has the right to lay a hand on a police officer," the Minister said, noting that the various narratives being circulated are likely coming from the detainees' defense. "Yesterday’s court decision is quite telling. Who said what and how exactly the events unfolded will become clear during the pre-trial proceedings and the trial," Mitov added.

All sorts of absurd versions have emerged in an effort to downplay the seriousness of the incident, he noted. "One must not raise a hand against a police officer, especially after they have identified themselves. The incident may appear 'domestic' in the sense that it was a street altercation, but even in such cases, it must  not lead to grievous bodily harm to a police officer, let alone the head of the regional directorate in a regional city," the Minister said.

Asked whether there is a double standard in classifying bodily harm in such cases, Mitov said that the Interior Ministry does not make that determination, as it is the responsibility of medical professionals.