Sofia metro assault: Greek national sought after death of professor

An 83-year-old associate professor, Andrey Atanasov, has died following a brutal assault at the Joliot-Curie metro station in Sofia. According to information from the Ministry of Interior, the suspect is a Greek national who has since fled the country and is currently being sought by authorities.

The motive is believed to be personal. Atanasov, a long-time faculty member at the Biology Department of Sofia University ‘St. Kliment Ohridski’, had known the younger Greek man for years. Following a deterioration in their relationship, the suspect reportedly stalked the professor for two days before the attack.

Surveillance footage shows the assailant attacking the professor before they reached an elevator, continuing the beating inside the lift. Investigators believe a blunt object was used, though the cause of death was significant blood loss. The suspect attempted to conceal his identity using a cap, a raised collar, and a medical mask, and fled the scene in a rental car.