Life sentence for Syrian driver who killed two police officers in Burgas
Burgas appellate court replaced the 20-year sentence of Omar Adnan with life imprisonment for the 2022 crash that claimed the lives of two police officers.
Burgas appellate court imposed life sentence for crash that killed two police officers
The Burgas appellate court has increased the sentence of Syrian citizen Omar Adnan — from 20 years imprisonment to life imprisonment with an initial special regime, according to Novinite.com. Adnan caused the crash on 25 August 2022 at the Trapezitsa junction in Burgas, in which two police officers died. The court found that the initial sentence did not adequately reflect the severity of the crime. The ruling is not final and can be appealed to the Supreme Court of Cassation.
The incident occurred in the early hours of 25 August 2022 at the Trapezitsa junction — one of the busiest intersections in Burgas. At that time, Adnan was 18 years old and was driving a bus with migrants headed towards the city. The vehicle carried 47 people, including women and children, who had illegally crossed the Bulgarian border from Turkey.
According to the case materials, the 47 migrants boarded the bus on 24 August in the area of Malko Turnovo. On the way to Burgas, the driver ignored two stop signals from border police officers, signalled with a baton. Police officers pursued the vehicle, and after it entered the city, the border police requested assistance from colleagues from Burgas police department.
Among those who responded were police officers Yordan Iliev, 29 years old from the Security Police sector, and Atanas Gradev, 43 years old. The two positioned their patrol car at the Trapezitsa junction, where they assessed that the bus could be stopped. The patrol car was clearly marked and had emergency lights on. Instead of stopping, Adnan continued driving, entered the junction and crashed into the stationary vehicle. Iliev and Gradev died in the impact.
The appellate court found that the crash was not the result of a single error or momentary loss of concentration. The judges concluded that it was the consequence of a prolonged series of dangerous actions by the driver. Among the circumstances noted were Adnan's repeated refusal to comply with police orders, the high speed of travel and his attempts to prevent police vehicles from overtaking the bus. In the area of the Trapezitsa junction he was driving at approximately 78 km/h.
The court also took into account the danger to which the bus passengers were exposed. Among the 47 migrants there were women and children, and some of them were sitting or lying on the floor and between seats without security restraints. For this reason, the driver's actions endangered not only the police officers, but also everyone in the bus, as well as other road users.
The appellate judges found that the deaths of the two police officers were caused intentionally with conditional intent and classified the act as a particularly serious crime. Additional account was taken of the driver's condition, the lack of reaction to stop after the initial impact and his subsequent attempt to leave the scene.
In February 2025 Burgas district court found Adnan guilty and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment. The appellate court found that this punishment was insufficient given the circumstances and the seriousness of the act, and replaced it with life imprisonment with an initial special regime.
The case stems from one of the most serious incidents involving police officers in Burgas in recent years. The deaths of Iliev and Gradev occurred while they were attempting to stop a bus carrying people who had illegally crossed the Bulgarian-Turkish border. However, the latest ruling is still not final — Adnan may appeal it, and prosecutors may contest it before the Supreme Court of Cassation.
Source: Novinite.com