Kristian Nikolov asks Sofia City Court today to free him early on parole. He is serving 9 years for the death of journalist Milen Tsvetkov, and the court will rule today.
Nikolov filed the request in October. Last Thursday it became clear the court would hear it this week.
The previous development: Man jailed over Milen Tsvetkov's death asks for early release
He has spent more than four and a half years in prison and in custody, including time under house arrest. He is held in the prison hostel in Kazichene and has had no disciplinary violations.
Anyone serving a first sentence can ask for parole after serving half of it. They must also show they have reformed. The judges will look at his conduct in prison, what it shows about his reform and what the prison administration says.
The crash happened on Easter Sunday, 19 April 2020, on Cherni Vrah Boulevard in Sofia. Tsvetkov was waiting at a red light when an Audi Q7 driven by Nikolov, then 22, hit him.
Expert reports in the case showed the car was going about 99 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. They also showed the driver had taken amphetamine, cocaine and marijuana.
The sentence took effect on 21 July 2023, when the Supreme Court of Cassation upheld it and ruled that Nikolov acted with indirect intent. Besides the prison term, the court banned him from driving any motor vehicle for 10 years.
Follow-up: Court to decide whether Hristian Nikolov can leave prison early