site.btaMovement for Rights and Freedoms Leader Peevski Condemns Assault on Ruse Police Chief

MRF Chair and MRF–New Beginning Floor Leader Delyan Peevski condemned the violent assault on Ruse police chief Nikolay Kozhuharov in a Thursday media statement, calling it a dangerous sign of growing impunity and disregard for law enforcement among young people.

Peevski expressed full solidarity and support for Kozhuharov’s swift recovery and also extended his backing to the thousands of police officers and law enforcement staff who conscientiously carry out their duties. He said such incidents reflect a severe syndrome of having “no consequences” and an alarming lack of respect from young people towards police and the law.

He called for the immediate identification and prosecution of the perpetrators, arguing that the attitude towards law enforcement is fundamental for maintaining public order and security. He described the case as another test for the Bulgarian courts and their tendency to show undue leniency toward perpetrators of road crimes, vandalism, and increasingly frequent violent acts on the streets, referencing the case of the youth from Razgrad who was involved in a fatal driving incident, which killed three people.

He warned that a society where minors and young people act with such brazenness, as if the rules do not apply and human life and health hold no value, jeopardizes its own future. Peevski noted that respect for police and law enforcement forms the basis for protecting health and public safety.

Senior Commissioner Nikolay Kozhuharov, head of Ruse police, is in critical condition after a Wednesday-night assault following a confrontation with men allegedly drifting cars. On Thursday, Mayor Pencho Milkov condemned the attack and said it struck at the city’s sense of security. Prosecutors said they were working on the case but gave no details, while the local hospital declined comment, and Interior Minister Daniel Mitov and the Ministry’s Secretary General Miroslav Rashkov are on their way to Ruse. Milkov pledged tougher action against youth violence in coordination with schools, institutions and citizens.