Bulgaria's Petrohan Case: One Victim’s Mother Rejects Suicide Theory, Calls Deaths Professional Killings

Ralitsa Asenova, the mother of 22-year-old Nikolay Zlatkov, whose body was discovered in a camper near Okolchitsa Peak alongside Ivaylo Kalushev and a 15-year-old boy, has publicly challenged the official versions announced so far in the investigation. Speaking to Nova TV, she said she decided to speak out because, in her words, “for more than a week, unimaginable filth has been poured over people who can no longer defend themselves.”

Further reading: Bulgarian Authorities Release Shocking Petrohan Footage: The Last Hours Before Six Deaths

According to Asenova, from the very first day after the deaths became public, insinuations and accusations began circulating that she described as frightening and unjustified. She stressed that six people had lost their lives and that public discussion had shifted too quickly toward speculation rather than facts.

She categorically denied claims that relatives were uncooperative with investigators, stating that she personally gave testimony to the police on Wednesday and was among the first to do so. She described her visit to the village of Bulgari, where Kalushev owned a house, as an “absolute shock,” recounting the presence of numerous heavily armed and uniformed units. Asenova said she had never seen such weaponry before and was not allowed to enter the house.

“They did not let me inside. The first thing they asked me was how these people made their money,” she said, adding that investigators spoke about her son twice using the past tense, which raised her suspicions at an early stage.

Asenova firmly rejected allegations that illegal weapons or a criminal arsenal were present at the Petrohan lodge. “There are no automatic weapons there. This is an outright lie,” she said, explaining that she had personally been in every room of the building. According to her, the items found included sports bows and paintball guns, as the residents had created a small recreational field. She insisted that all weapons were legal and possessed with proper permits, adding that anyone who had stayed at the lodge could confirm this.

She also dismissed claims that there was extreme psychological tension within the group. About a month before the tragedy, she spent two days at the lodge and described the atmosphere as calm and harmonious. “We cooked together, watched a movie, talked. Those were some of my best days,” she said, rejecting portrayals of the group as unstable or dangerous.

During questioning, Asenova said investigators repeatedly tried to convince her that she did not truly know her own son and that the people around him were major criminals. “We are talking about a lawyer and an accountant, about ordinary people,” she said.

She also questioned reports about four off-road vehicles allegedly seen near the lodge shortly before the tragedy. “These six people did not have four mountain jeeps. Those were not their cars,” Asenova stated, calling on authorities to examine this information seriously.

While saying she does not yet have definitive answers about what happened, Asenova presented her own assessment of the events. In her view, the six victims likely witnessed something that put them in danger. “For me, this is a professionally committed murder,” she said, insisting that every possible version must be thoroughly checked.

Her public statement came after a joint briefing by the Interior Ministry and the Prosecutor’s Office, where investigators said they were working primarily with versions involving suicide or murder followed by suicide, both for the three men found near the Petrohan lodge and for the three discovered near Okolchitsa Peak. Footage from cameras positioned around the lodge was also shown at the briefing.

Asenova claimed that no cameras covered the exact locations where the fatal shots were fired. She also urged investigators to question Ivaylo Ivanov’s friend Milena Malionova, who wrote on social media that four mountain jeeps passed her near the Petrohan fountain on the evening of February 1. “Did anyone pay attention to that post? They didn’t have four jeeps,” Asenova said.

Explaining why she decided to speak publicly, she said her goal was to prevent distortion of her words and to stop what she described as the destruction of the victims’ reputations. She criticized what she called a violation of the presumption of innocence, saying outrage had replaced restraint.

She recounted that when she learned the lodge had burned down and three bodies had been found, she immediately went to the coast, believing something terrible could happen to the others. The group had told relatives they would stay there for about ten days. She contacted the police and asked for assistance from local units but said access to the property was denied and she was told it was empty, based on a neighbor’s testimony that the group had left days earlier.

Asenova said she last visited the lodge around Christmas, describing it as a place with a music studio, a clay workshop and a large library. “There were no mandatory Buddhist practices,” she added, refuting another claim that circulated publicly.

“I have no explanation yet. I am here to protect the victims,” she concluded.

Further reading: The Petrohan Case: Six Deaths, Few Answers and a Week of Silence

Between February 1 and February 8, six members of a non-governmental organization involved in nature protection were found dead in Northwestern Bulgaria. On February 2, three men were discovered shot near a privately owned lodge at the Petrohan Pass, which had also been set on fire. Three other members were initially declared missing.

On February 8, the missing individuals Ivaylo Kalushev, Nikolay Zlatkov and a 15-year-old boy were found shot dead in a camper in a remote area near Okolchitsa Peak. Authorities confirmed that shots were fired inside the vehicle and that weapons were found at the scene.

Investigators have stated that no illegal items or substances were discovered at the lodge. DNA traces on the firearms near Petrohan belonged only to the deceased. Eighteen forensic examinations have been ordered so far, and 15 witnesses have been questioned. The time of death of those found near Okolchitsa has yet to be determined.

Video footage from February 1 shows some of the deceased speaking, saying farewell and setting fire to part of the Petrohan building after others left in the camper.

The case has prompted sharp political reactions. Former President Rumen Radev described it as a “political shock” and a sign of the state’s condition, while urging that the tragedy not obscure serious institutional issues surrounding the NGO involved.

Several political leaders exchanged accusations regarding responsibility for the organization’s activities, its registration and a framework agreement signed with the Ministry of Environment and Water in 2022, which was later terminated in 2025 after an internal audit.

At this stage, investigators say work continues on multiple versions, while relatives of the victims insist the full truth has yet to be uncovered.