The gangland murder of Jordanka Zapryanova

The gangland murder of Jordanka Zapryanova shocked police hardened to underworld violence and showed the mountain that Bulgaria still has to climb to combat the mafia and purge its judicial system of corruption.

Mrs Zapryanova, the mother of a murdered mobster, was shot dead the day before she was due to give evidence in court against one of her son’s former associates.

Details of her whereabouts had been leaked to the mob in a sign of worsening corruption and in spite of Bulgaria’s promise when it joined the European Union to clean up its police and prosecution services.