Bulgarian Supreme Court reduces sentence for Pazardzhik killer

The Supreme Court of Cassation has upheld a decision to reduce the sentence of Nikola Raychev, who killed Angel Zdravkov in Pazardzhik on September 29, 2023. Raychev, who was initially sentenced to life imprisonment, will now serve a 20-year prison term.

The court's decision to replace the life sentence with a fixed term was based on several mitigating factors, including the defendant's young age, his lack of a prior criminal record, his cooperation with authorities, and his expressed remorse. The appellate court noted that a life sentence requires specific justification that the crime's severity could not be addressed through lesser sanctions.

Legal proceedings also addressed the nature of the crime, concluding that the murder was not premeditated but occurred spontaneously during a dispute involving jealousy. Additionally, experts testified that video recordings made by Raychev prior to contacting the police were a psychological coping mechanism rather than evidence of insincere repentance.