site.btaBulgarian, Turkish Authorities Exchange Info on Investigation into Killing of Bulgarian Border Policeman

Bulgarian Border Police officer Petar Bachvarov, who was killed on November 7, 2022, while patrolling the Bulgarian-Turkish border, was shot by a Turkish national attempting to steal livestock. This is the main version on which the Bulgarian and Turkish investigators are working, prosecutor Doychin Doychev, administrative head of the Yambol District Prosecution Office (Southeastern Bulgaria), told the media on Tuesday. He took part in a joint coordination meeting with representatives of the Turkish authorities, held at the Kapitan Andreevo border control checkpoint so that the two sides could exchange information on the investigation. 

Doychev also said that Bachvarov was killed with a 12-gauge hunting shotgun loaded with pellets for hunting big game. The work on the pretrial proceedings is close to being finished, he added.

The meeting was also attended by the observing prosecutor, Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Petar Todorov, the National Police Director, Chief Commissioner Atanas Ilkov, and the Border Police Director, Chief Commissioner Rositsa Dimitrova.

The Border Police officer, Sergeant Petar Bachvarov, was shot dead while patrolling the border with Turkiye, near the village of Golyam Dervent. A Turkish national was detained for the killing. The autopsy showed that the police officer was shot with hunting shotgun pellets, which eliminates the possibility of a shootout between Bulgarian and Turkish border police, the head of the National Investigation Service, Borislav Sarafov, explained back in November 2022.