18 detained in Plovdiv club linked to Blood & Honour

Eighteen people affiliated with the international neo‑Nazi organisation Blood & Honour were detained inside a private club in Plovdiv, the director of the Plovdiv Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, senior commissioner Vasil Kostadinov, said at a briefing.

The arrests took place at a club opposite Youth Hill in Plovdiv, where police found various objects bearing neo‑Nazi imagery and symbols.

Charges and past records

The suspects were detained on suspicion of violating article 162(1) of the Bulgarian Criminal Code, which proscribes the promotion of discrimination, violence or hatred on the basis of race, nationality or ethnic origin. Authorities say some of those arrested were already known to police and that several have previous convictions for different offences.

Among those taken into custody is the adult young man linked to the attack on Nepali nationals, together with his father and brother; the young man had been released from detention four days earlier. Investigators also reported that three women were among those arrested, one of whom is 17 and will turn 18 in September.

Kostadinov described the venue as a place that has not operated continuously as a hospitality business but has been used for periodic gatherings over roughly the past two years. Last night the group had been watching the football match between Ludogorets and Botev (Plovdiv); the tenant of the club is listed among those detained.

Police said the investigation that led to the club sweep was carried out jointly with the State Agency for National Security (DANS). All 18 suspects were held for 24 hours; some will be released, and procedural actions are continuing at other locations.

Photo: press material from the event