The Sofia District Court has ordered 23-year-old Syrian national Mahmoud Muhammad to remain in custody over a knife attack near Sofia’s National Palace of Culture (NDK) on October 16 that left three young men injured, ruling that he was the aggressor.
Muhammad has been charged with inflicting bodily harm on the three men. The incident occurred around 9 p.m. Friday in the park in front of the NDK, where he allegedly headbutted one young man, causing a minor injury, before stabbing two others, aged 18 and 19. Two ambulances were dispatched to the scene, taking one victim to Pirogov Hospital and the other to the Military Medical Academy.
The judge said there was no evidence that Muhammad had acted in self-defense. According to witness accounts, he initiated the confrontation because he believed the young men were filming him. The victims suffered stab and slash wounds, with one injured while trying to escape and another while helping his friends get back on their feet.
Prosecutor Valentin Dobrev argued that the evidence supported the charges against Muhammad and warned that he could commit another offense, since the incident took place during the probation period of a previous final conviction. Dobrev also said there was a risk Muhammad might flee because he did not live at the address he had provided.
Defense attorney Ekaterina Traykova told the court that her client had a permanent address in Bulgaria and no intention of absconding. Muhammad, 23, has lived in the country for more than three years and works in construction at different locations nationwide, she said, explaining why he was found and detained in Plovdiv.
Traykova offered a different account of the confrontation, saying Muhammad had been surrounded in the park by more than 10 young men who attacked him. She said he became frightened as they approached and began filming him. According to the defense, one person hit Muhammad with a heavy object and another headbutted him, prompting him to retaliate. The group then knocked him to the ground and kicked him.
Traykova said a forensic medical examination confirmed that Muhammad had sustained multiple injuries. She argued that he had pulled out a knife because he feared for his life, injuring several members of the group in an attempt to defend himself.
The defense lawyer asked the court to examine all the circumstances of the incident, pointing out that there were no surveillance cameras in the area. She described the charges as incorrect and unlawful and requested a less restrictive measure of restraint.
In his final statement to the court, Muhammad asked for leniency and to be released under a less restrictive measure. He expressed regret over the incident, saying he did not want to get into trouble or cause problems and had acted only to protect himself. He also said he had come to Bulgaria to work and support his family in Syria.
Speaking to the media after the hearing, prosecutor Dobrev said Muhammad had been convicted in 2024 of harboring illegal migrants. He disputed the defendant’s claim that he had been beaten, saying it was contradicted by other evidence.
Dobrev added that the investigation remained at an early stage and that additional evidence, including video footage, had yet to be added to the case file. The footage expected to be included shows the route Muhammad took while fleeing, he said.
The presiding judge nevertheless found a risk that Muhammad might abscond and ordered him to remain in custody. The ruling is not final and can be appealed or challenged by protest.