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Interior Minister demands resignations over police chase death

Minister of the Interior Kalin Stoyanov.
Photo: BTA

Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov has called for the dismissal of two senior police officers in Stara Zagora. This follows an incident in late 2023 in Stara Zagora in which 58-year-old former national wrestling champion Pavel Penev died after being chased by police. 

The coroner's conclusion was that the victim's death was due to asphyxiation. Police body-worn camera footage showed that five police officers tried to immobilise him by pushing him hard to the ground, causing Penev to suffocate, public broadcaster BNT reported. According to relatives of the deceased, he was not a violent person, but suffered from mental illness. Details of the call to the 112 emergency number that led to the police chase remain unclear.



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