Statement by Interior Minister Daniel Mitov on the Attack on the Police Director of Ruse
Interior Minister Daniel Mitov made a detailed statement regarding the attack on the Police Director of Ruse, Nikolay Kozhuharov. In his official position, presented to the media, Minister Mitov sharply criticized the circulating "conspiracy theories" and attempts to politicize the incident, providing a detailed chronology of events based on footage of the incident.
Mitov's statement comes after the appearance of a video recording, which he says clearly refutes the numerous speculations in the public sphere. According to the minister, the incident began shortly after midnight, around 12:30 AM, on a small street in Ruse. A car was driving at excessive speed, violating the 30 km/h limit, and did not stop at a "Stop" sign. At that moment, a woman on the side managed to pull a child to a safe distance.
According to the information released, the police director and his neighbor were returning home when the neighbor blocked the car's path to ask for an explanation. Mitov categorically denied claims that the neighbor had initiated the physical conflict, calling it a "lie" spread by Assen Vassilev. The minister emphasized that the video recording unequivocally shows that the neighbor was the first to strike.
The minister added that Director Kozhuharov initially stood aside and spoke with the other passenger in the car, trying to avoid escalating the tension. Only when the dispute with the neighbor began to heat up did Kozhuharov intervene to prevent it. It was at this moment that he was attacked from behind.
The attack was extremely brutal. As a result of the beating, the police director was hospitalized with a broken rib and a torn kidney. Minister Mitov expressed confidence that the perpetrator had delivered the blows with intent and knowledge of human anatomy, stating that "whoever was hitting knew how to hit".
The minister also drew attention to the various versions of the incident circulating in the media. He rejected claims that these versions were the work of the Ministry of Interior, calling them "versions from little websites and trolls". Mitov sharply criticized the "high temperature of speech", which he says in recent years undermines trust in institutions.
Mitov also revealed a new detail about the events. According to him, during the incident, the director revealed that he was a police officer, to which the attackers responded: "I don't care who you are, I want my personal space."
Minister Mitov thanked the police unions for their position, in which they categorically condemn the attack on their colleague and express full support. In response to criticisms that the Ministry of Interior is spreading false information, Mitov challenged his opponents with the words "give me one thing that the Ministry of Interior has lied about".
When asked why the attackers were not detained immediately after the incident, the minister replied that this was a judgment call by the on-site law enforcement officers, who handed them subpoenas.
Mitov clarified that Director Kozhuharov only felt unwell around 3:30 AM, after which he called a police patrol to take him to the hospital. According to the minister, the director himself asked his colleagues to take him.
The minister concluded his statement with a quote that criticizes the tendency of some circles to make general conclusions without being experts in the respective field, stating that "every engineer is used for general conclusions".