site.btaDeputy PM Zafirov Demands Tough Penalties after Attack on Ruse Police Chief

Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov called on Thursday for tough punishment for the perpetrators of the attack on Ruse police chief Nikolay Kozhuharov. 

Zafirov sharply condemned the attack on Kozhuharov, calling such actions unacceptable and an assault not just on the individual, but also on statehood and public order. In his statement, Zafirov expressed solidarity and support for Kozhuharov and for all law enforcement officers who risk their lives daily in service to the public.

Minister of Interior Daniel Mitov and the Ministry of Interior’s Secretary General Miroslav Rashkov travelled to the city that day following the assault. Mitov, speaking in Ruse, said that an attack like the one on the head of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior in Ruse is considered an assault on the State in any democracy.

Aleksandar Kovachev, Deputy Director of the Ruse Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, reported that four individuals have been taken into custody in connection with the case: three are 19 years old and one is 15 years old.

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. Milkov pledged tougher action against youth violence in coordination with schools, institutions and citizens.