Citizens are planning a protest in response to the verdict in the murder case of Evgenia Vladimirova. The demonstration is scheduled for February 19 at 6:30 p.m., outside the Sofia Courthouse.

The protest comes after the Sofia Court of Appeal reduced the sentence of Orlin Vladimirov, who was convicted of murdering Evgenia, from life imprisonment to 20 years. His father, Plamen Vladimirov, was acquitted in full.

Further reading: Bulgarian Court Cuts Sentence for Husband Who Killed Wife and Hid Her in a Suitcase

The case was sent back for retrial by the Supreme Court of Cassation, leading to this revised decision. In earlier proceedings, both the first and second-instance courts had sentenced Orlin and his father to life imprisonment.

The case, widely known as "the woman in the suitcase," involved the discovery of the dismembered body of 33-year-old Evgenia in a suitcase in a pond near Pernik at the end of 2021. Forensic analysis confirmed that she had been strangled. Experts noted that the death occurred in a particularly painful manner, as Evgenia was aware of the events before losing consciousness.

According to the prosecution, jealousy was the driving motive. Orlin had been tracking his wife and discovered her extramarital relationship. A meeting she had the day before her murder with another man allegedly triggered the act. Orlin reportedly informed his father, and the following day the two left their phones behind, went to the prearranged location, and later disposed of Evgenia’s body in the suitcase.

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