Supreme Court to Hear Case Filed by Aleksey Petrov Before His Death

The Supreme Court of Cassation has ordered the case of a BGN 2 million claim under the State Liability Act,filed by Aleksey Petrov,to be heard. Petrov filed the claim hours before his death. Lower courts had dismissed the case, stating it was filed after his shooting on August 16, 2023. However, the Supreme court overturned these decisions and sent the case back to the Sofia city Court for review.

Following Petrov’s death, his widow and daughter were added as parties to the case. The lawsuit originally sought BGN 1,684,628 for non-property damages and BGN 226,500 for property damages resulting from the “Octopus” operation,plus BGN 2,419 in attorney’s fees.Petrov argued these damages stemmed from his unlawful arrest, charges, and the lengthy trial following his detention on February 10, 2010. He was ultimately acquitted in 2021.

The prosecution argued the case should be terminated, asserting it was filed after Petrov’s death. Records show the claim was received by a courier from Petrov’s law firm at 9:10 am on August 16, 2023, as noted on the bill of lading. Though, the courier company’s system registered the shipment at 4:31 p.m. Without a specific time of death on the death certificate, the court consulted news websites and estimated Petrov’s death occurred around 12:20 p.m.

The prosecution challenges the claim’s filing time due to the handwritten notation on the bill of lading and