site.btaSofia Mayor Hopes for International Investigation into Petrohan Case

In a televised interview on bTV on Sunday, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev commented on the Petrohan case. He expressed the hope that there will be an international investigation "so that the pieces can be put together objectively, we can see what happened, and the public can be reassured." 

What has become known as the Petrohan case is a high-profile criminal case in which five men and a 15-year-old boy met a violent death between February 1 and 8. Their bodies were found in two remote mountain locations in Northwestern Bulgaria: a lodge near the Petrohan Pass and a camper van near Okolchitsa Peak. Forensic experts established that all six died of gunshot wounds. Law enforcement officials said the principal leads they followed, based on ballistics findings, are homicide succeeded by suicide or suicide only. The deceased were associated with a non-governmental conservation group called National Protected Areas Control Agency (NPACA), to which the Mayor of Sofia has donated money.

When asked how he would react if it were ever proven that this group had committed the crimes that have been reported, Terziev called for an international investigation to be conducted first and added that anyone can make mistakes in their judgment. "Let us learn from our mistakes and not judge others too harshly," he urged. 

Terziev explained that he had donated personal funds to a cause that he believed would be good for Bulgaria. "No one has called yet," Terziev said in response to a question about whether he had been summoned to testify and explain the circumstances under which he made the donation. "This raises the question of why we are being given information in dribs and drabs and why the institutions are not giving us a clear chronology of what happened and when," Terziev added, asking why, if the State Agency for National Security knew about the group, they did nothing.

Asked about the calls for his resignation because of his donation to the nongovernmental organization, Terziev said that it did not do them credit, because those calling for his resignation were trying to exploit every tragedy politically. "It even leads me to file a lawsuit against them, because they are crossing all lines" he added.

Terziev spoke about his acquaintance with the six people whose bodies were found near the Petrohan Lodge and Okolchitsa Peak. In his words, in the fall of 2022, he met Ivaylo Kalushev, Ivaylo Ivanov, Plamen Statev, and Decho Vasilev, staying overnight at the lodge, and his impression of them was positive. There were no other guests at the lodge at the time. "I saw a very close-knit group of people who had spent many years together and obviously knew each other very well," Terziev added. When asked if there were young men and children in their company, Terziev said that he had seen the children Alexander and Nikolay some time later, in the summer. "I was impressed that the two children read a wide range of books, including in English," he added. It became clear that Nikolay lived there, but Terziev did not get the impression that Alexander lived there permanently.

Terziev made his donation a year after they met, when they asked him for it, explained what they needed the money for, and specified the amount. "When you make a donation or investment, you have to be sure that it is good enough to deserve your attention," he added. When asked if he had donated funds to other non-governmental organizations with a similar focus, he confirmed that he had made such donations. 

When asked how he explains the fact that the donations declared by the organization are significantly smaller than the amounts actually received, Terziev suggested that this is because the amount was transferred to Ivaylo Ivanov, not to the NPACA, as requested. Terziev noted that he had asked why the donation was made to a personal account, but the answer had been satisfactory. "If I were a paranoid person who always looked for reasons not to give, I would hardly donate at all. People project onto the world what comes from within," he added.

Terziev also said that he had never seen weapons in the lodge and that he had not seen any of the six armed. The question is who issued the weapons permits, Terziev asked. "I felt traumatized and felt sorry for the relatives of the victims," Terziev said, describing his reaction to the news of the six violent deaths.