Bulgaria mob boss shot outside courthouse in broad daylight
Bodyguards carry the wounded Zlatomir Ivanov.
A major Bulgarian mobster has been shot outside a courthouse in broad daylight. Zlatomir Ivanov, a convicted underworld leader known as "The Beret," was shot outside the Central Courthouse in Bulgaria's capital Sofia today, Novinite reported. He remains seriously wounded.
He was shot as he was entering the courthouse to appeal against his conviction for drug trafficking, Reuters reported. He was taken to the hospital with his his body guard, who was also shot.
More from GlobalPost: Russian mafia boss Aslan Usoyan shot dead by sniper in Moscow
Despite his conviction, he remained out of jail and under house arrest instead, which officials say can bring new safety concerns."I have always claimed that persons who have first been sentenced will be much healthier if they stay in custody," Prime Minister Boiko Borisov announced, the Associated Press reported.
Ivanov's "The Beret" nickname comes from his service in the 90s for the Bulgarian government's Counter-terrorism Squad, whose members are known as The Berets. He left the squad after other "berets" clashed with local pimps, according to Novinite.
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!