18-Year-Old Who Attacked Nepalese Citizens in Plovdiv Remains Free

Eighteen-year-old Teodor Velev, accused of attacking Nepalese citizens in Plovdiv and causing them minor bodily injuries, will remain free on bail after the Plovdiv District Court confirmed the €700 measure.

The court hearing established that Velev had already paid the bail and had cooperated with investigators by providing explanations. The prosecution had appealed an earlier decision to release him, seeking his return to custody.

Velev was detained during a joint operation by the National Security Agency and police targeting the neo-Nazi organization “Blood and Honor.” He was among three people charged with promoting and inciting discrimination, hatred and violence. However, he was released without a detention order.

Prosecutor Dimitar Pehlivanov said Velev had been detained three times and that investigators had gathered additional evidence related to the attack. He said the incident appeared to have been motivated by hostility toward people perceived as different.

"These people apparently attack as if they are not facing a person, but a symbol. A symbol that they hate, that they detest," Pehlivanov said, adding that investigators were continuing to work with both written and oral evidence.

The prosecutor also said new evidence would be presented to the court.

Velev's lawyer, Stoyan Memtsov, argued that it had not been established that the accused knew the victims were Nepalese citizens. He maintained that the initial decision to impose bail was justified and noted that his client had complied with the measure.

"At the moment, the bail has not been violated. The individual appears at the hearing, that is, he did not hide or evade law enforcement," Memtsov said.

The court's decision means the 18-year-old will remain at liberty while the investigation continues.