Police officers gather in Varna tonight to defend their colleagues who detained Yavor Georgiev on the night of his death. Video footage shows officers beating the 36-year-old man while he is on the ground and in handcuffs. His relatives demand justice.
Despite images of excessive police force—pressing, shoving, hitting—officials from the prosecutor’s office state there is no causal link between the altercation and his death.
Yavor was detained on June 7 after calling 112 for help. During the confrontation, he fell to the ground and was handcuffed. Surveillance footage from a nearby security camera captures two officers striking him even after he was in cuffs.
The incident took place at a gas station in the “Breeze” neighborhood of Varna.
According to his report, Yavor explained that his mother was in danger, the power in his block had been cut, and someone was digging around his building.
When the police arrived, they found him in a visibly disoriented state, dressed only in shorts. They called for backup—two more officers—and an ambulance team.
None of the officers were wearing body cameras to record the incident.
Medical personnel decided to take him to a psychiatric facility, but Yavor resisted. A struggle ensued, during which he was subdued and handcuffed. At the psychiatry reception, he collapsed, and shortly afterward, his family was informed that he had died. No resuscitation team was present on site.
It remains unclear why he was taken to the “Saint Marina” Psychiatric Hospital instead of an Emergency Center or Toxicology unit.
The case has sparked widespread outrage in Varna and raised many questions.
Tensions escalated as Yavor’s relatives organized a protest, prompting Interior Minister Daniel Mitov to visit the city.
Following the incident, the head of Varna’s police, senior commissioner Andrey Angelov, was temporarily suspended. Prior to that, the director of the Second District Police Department and officers involved in Yavor’s detention were dismissed.
Later, it was clarified that Angelov’s removal is temporary; he has been reassigned to the police training school in the city.
The “Yavor” case also prompted political reactions.
Borisov did not call for Minister Mitov’s resignation but stated that if Mitov does not manage the situation properly, “then the issue of his resignation will arise.”
Mitov was appointed to the Interior Ministry specifically to improve its communication with citizens. Borisov emphasized that his adaptation was complete, and it was time for the professional leadership to do their job. If they fail, then “the question of resignation” would be valid.
Delyan Peevski, leader of “DPS-New Beginning,” defended Interior Minister Mitov against opposition attacks, stating that the competent authorities should clarify exactly what happened and that “we should not rush to criticize.”
“I support him; he is an extremely democratic-minded minister. There are no grounds for his resignation,” said Peevski.
A new unit is planned to be established, focused on police training.
In an interview with “Nova TV,” Chief Commissioner Nikolay Nikolov, responsible for the gendarmerie, special operations, and counter-terrorism, explained that this specialized sector would be created “as soon as possible,” and it would oversee training for law enforcement officers on the ground, including traffic police. The training would be conducted by instructors with extensive professional experience who could effectively transfer their knowledge to the officers.
Deputy Minister of Interior Toni Todorov stated that police officers are facing “quite technical problems” with body cameras. During the “This Morning” program on bTV, he did not specify the nature of these issues, but he did mention that the battery of the body cameras worn by officers involved in Yavor Georgiev’s detention had died.
He reminded that police officers are disciplined if they turn off their body cameras.
At present, directors of regional police departments have been instructed to increase oversight of body camera use. The Ministry of Interior also plans to provide additional batteries so that they can be replaced even during shifts, eliminating excuses for dead batteries.
New procurement procedures are upcoming to purchase more units, as current equipment is insufficient for all officers.
On Tuesday, the Varna prosecutor’s office announced the results of a triple forensic examination—confirming a cocaine overdose as the cause of death for 36-year-old Yavor Georgiev.
The expert conclusion states that the large amount of cocaine taken was responsible for his death. The findings confirm that he died from “acute cocaine intoxication, causing brain and lung edema, leading to cardiovascular and respiratory failure.”
The blood analysis showed a cocaine concentration of 2.6 μg/mL—significantly higher than the life-threatening threshold range of 0.1–0.3 μg/mL. Toxicology reports also found cocaine, ethanol, and benzoylecgonine (a cocaine metabolite) in Georgiev’s blood, with urine testing revealing cocaine, tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana), and alcohol.
The experts conclude that his death happened quickly due to brain and lung edema, with established hemorrhages in the respiratory passages and the left lung. These hemorrhages were caused by the high dose of cocaine mixed with alcohol, and were not related to police actions during the arrest.
Autopsy findings indicate he had superficial, limited injuries that could not have caused edema or death. There was no evidence of mechanical asphyxiation or other factors that could have led to brain swelling.
Videos from the detention show Yavor talking calmly with police for several minutes before being handcuffed. He then resists, and even after being rendered helpless and on the ground, police hit him and push his head to the ground.
Officers Svetlozar Dimitrov and Ivaylo Nenov explained that their body cameras were not working due to dead batteries but parked their patrol car so that the dashcam would record what was happening. They claimed they acted in accordance with police self-protection procedures and did not lose their composure.
“He was taller and bigger than us. There was no way to act differently,” Dimitrov told Nova TV. They said they learned about Georgiev’s death after he entered the room where they were waiting outside; before that, they had removed his handcuffs, and he had exited the ambulance on his own.
Deputy Minister Todorov told bTV that police use force due to adrenaline surges in such situations. He explained, “In such moments, officers’ adrenaline levels spike. In trying to fulfill their duties, they sometimes find themselves in situations where—unavoidably and unwillingly—they exceed their authority. Emotions take over.”
He added that “once the handcuffs were put on Yavor Georgiev, we categorically condemn the use of force by police against the detained person.”
