A court in Asenovgrad pronounced Rashkov guilty on charges of threatening to kill Veselin Hristov and Ivanka Petrov on Sept. 23. Both said Rashkov threatened them by reaching for a knife on his belt.
The verdict is based on testimony from twelve eye witnesses as well as silent video footage showing a man gesturing angrily from a black sports utility vehicle at Hristov and Petrov in front of their home.
Rashkov leads a large Roma family that has ties to regional organized crime operations. Earlier in the day, a van driven by members of Rashkov’s organized crime syndicate ran over 19-year-old Angel Petrov, killing him. Petrov was Hristov’s nephew.
The event sparked rioting in Katunitsa, where Bulgarian nationalists set some of Rashkov’s property on fire and against Roma people all over Bulgaria. The marches continued through mid-October as Bulgarians complained about the country’s Roma population, saying the state gives them “privileged status,” according to the Sofia News Agency.
Rashkov’s grandson Kiril Rashkov II was sentenced in November to eight months in prison for threatening Hristov. Rashkov II is appealing the verdict.
