Romanian Remains in Custody for Migrant Deaths

The court decided to keep a Romanian citizen in custody, accused of causing the death of six migrants following the tragic incident that occurred in the nearby lake. 26-year-old Ciprian State appeared before the court to face the charges brought by the prosecution.

Before the courtroom, the citizen stated that he had acted under the threat of those who commissioned the illegal transportation. According to his testimony, the trafficker was putting pressure on him the whole time, including during the police pursuit, which ended with fatal consequences. He claims that the tire of his car was punctured by police spikes, which led to the car being thrown off the road.

The drama unfolded on Thursday evening. The police pursuit lasted 34 minutes before the car ended up in the waters of the lake. There were a total of nine migrants from Afghanistan in the car. Six of them lost their lives on the spot, while three and the driver himself escaped unharmed from the incident.

The atmosphere in the courtroom was tense. Ciprian asked for a lighter measure so that he could see his family, mentioning that he has a two-year-old child and has not had any problems with the law so far. "I want a lighter measure so that I can see my family, I have a 2-year-old child and I don't want to be arrested. I've never had problems with the police", he said.

However, the prosecutor pleaded for permanent arrest, emphasizing the dangerous high-speed driving demonstrated by the defendant. According to the investigation, he maintained an average speed of about 150 km/h for 70 kilometers, repeatedly ignoring police orders. Pursued by three teams of the Border Police, he posed a danger to other road users. The prosecution stressed that Ciprian's behavior shows intent and a conscious disregard for police instructions.

Ciprian's lawyer pointed out that the defendant acted under pressure and has no criminal record. He has fully cooperated with the investigators and has provided detailed testimony about how he came across an advertisement for the transport and when he arrived in the country. According to him, he had to take a group of people from a forest by the road and, when he tried to refuse, received threats from the transport commissioner by phone.

The lawyer pointed out that Ciprian has no convictions and his wife, with a hand injury, and their two-year-old daughter are waiting for him at home. Regarding the claims that the migrants were shouting at the driver to slow down, the defense commented that he did not understand them due to a language barrier.

The prosecution stated that Ciprian acted as a "mule" and was supposed to receive 1250 euros per person for transporting the migrants to Sofia. The migrants themselves paid 5500 euros to an intermediary in Istanbul.

Before being put in the car, the migrants had been walking on foot for three days. The exact loading place is yet to be established after an examination of the defendant's phone. Their final destination was the Bulgarian capital.

After a short hearing, the court decided to keep the Romanian citizen in custody. For the crime committed, Ciprian can receive from 10 to 15 years in prison.