[REVISION HISTORY]

Assassination of businessman Iliyan Filipov

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What changed

2026-10-04 20:28 UTC → 2026-10-05 11:57 UTC · added ~~removed~~

On September 30, 2026, Iliyan Filipov, a 53-year-old influential businessman, owner of the transport and construction company PIMK, and president of the Bulgarian first-division football club Botev Plovdiv, was assassinated in the Hristo Smirnenski neighborhood of Plovdiv. The shooting occurred around 1:00 AM in the foyer of a residential building, where Filipov was shot once under the eye. Slavcho Megerov, 51, has been charged with the premeditated murder of Filipov. Megerov was apprehended in Sofia approximately 20 hours after the incident following a large-scale police operation. On October 4, the Plovdiv District Court ordered the detention of Megerov, granting the prosecution’s request for the strictest preventive measure. The court cited a chain of circumstantial evidence, including security camera footage that tracked Megerov’s movements in a Peugeot vehicle, which investigators identified as belonging to his sister. Evidence also suggests he disposed of clothing and shoes in a container. The prosecution identifies the primary motive as personal, stemming from unsettled financial disputes involving illegal sports betting, often referred to as ‘cherno toto’, with sums reportedly ranging between 15,000 and 20,000 BGN. While witnesses, including Lyudmila Racheva, reported seeing a masked man with a handgun near the scene, defense attorney Dilyana Agova maintains there is no direct evidence and that the murder weapon has not been found. Criminal experts noted that the use of a single shot suggests an impulsive act rather than a professional contract killing. Investigators continue to probe for potential orchestrators or accomplices. Filipov’s funeral is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7, at 11:00 AM in the ritual hall of Trauren Park ‘Sever’ in Plovdiv.

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