The Burgas Court of Appeals has upheld the pretrial detention of Mitko Stoyanov and Atanas Stoyanov, who are charged in connection with the killing in Sungurlare in mid-September. The two men are accused of deliberately killing Hasan Pamukov by stabbing him in the back and lungs.

The bloody clash in Sungurlare took place on September 13. Police arrested around eight people afterward, but for now only Mitko and Atanas Stoyanov remain in custody.

The law provides for a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison for this crime.

The appellate judges concluded that the evidence gathered so far is sufficient to establish reasonable suspicion that the two men were involved in the killing. The Court of Appeals agreed with the regional court on the other key issue as well: if released, Mitko and Atanas could realistically go into hiding or commit another crime.

The court believes there is a risk the defendants could abscond. This is due to the early stage of the investigation, as well as the severity of the potential sentence, which could give them a motive to flee. This holds true even though both men have registered permanent and current addresses where they live. The court also noted their trips abroad, as well as the weaker border controls since Bulgaria joined the Schengen area.

According to the appellate court, the risk that either of the two could commit another crime is currently high and imminent. The judges pointed out that the families of the victim and the defendants had long been feuding, and that this feud led to the fight and to Pamukov's death.

In its ruling, the court also described exactly how the killing took place. The defendants chased the victim and his relatives all the way to their home and broke down the fence around the property. They then stabbed Pamukov multiple times with a knife. Other members of his family were also injured.

The appellate judges believe that only pretrial detention can simultaneously guarantee the normal course of the investigation and protect the public interest.

The ruling of the Burgas Court of Appeals is final.