Slavi Binev, president of the Bulgarian Taekwondo Federation and a senior official in European and world taekwondo, was shot dead at his home in Sofia on Saturday, 24 October. Turkish businessman Eyup Temiz has been charged with intentional murder, as investigators examine possible links to a financial or property dispute.
Binev was killed by a single gunshot to the face at his home in the Bulgarian capital at around 10am, according to prosecutors. The shooting took place shortly before he was due to attend the opening of the international Ramus Sofia Cup, which was being held in Sofia that weekend.
Bulgarian prosecutors charged Temiz, a Turkish citizen, on Sunday, 25 October. Prosecutors said the evidence indicated that one person had fired the fatal shot and that the other two men detained in connection with the case had not been shown to be involved in a criminal offence.
Temiz was placed under a 72-hour detention order while prosecutors pursued his continued detention. The allegations have yet to be tested in court, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The three men were arrested near the Trayanovi Vrata tunnel on the Trakia motorway outside Sofia. Police had recovered two firearms during the operation, and prosecutors later confirmed that the pistol suspected of being used in the killing had been secured as evidence. Investigators are examining witness statements, security camera footage, gunshot residue and ballistic evidence.
Slavi Binev
Murder Probe and Taekwondo Power
Authorities have identified unresolved financial matters as a possible line of inquiry, although prosecutors said the motive remained under investigation. Bulgarian National Television reported that Binev may have acted as an intermediary in a property dispute involving people connected to the construction sector.
Bulgarian media have also reported business links between Binev and Nia Temiz, the suspect’s wife, an architect involved in construction. These reported connections have not established a motive, and prosecutors have not publicly confirmed a definitive explanation for the killing.
Binev held senior positions across the sport’s international governing structures. He was first vice-president of the European Taekwondo Union and a member of the Council of World Taekwondo, the sport’s global governing body. He also served on Kukkiwon’s Board of Directors, according to his World Taekwondo profile. In May 2026, he was re-elected president of the Bulgarian Taekwondo Federation for another five-year term.
A former taekwondo competitor, Binev won a tournament in Celje, Slovenia, in 1992 that his World Taekwondo profile describes as one of the unofficial European Championships of that period. He later moved into sports administration and politics, serving as a Member of the European Parliament from 2007 to 2014.
The killing disrupted the planned opening of the Ramus Sofia Cup. The official opening ceremony was cancelled, and a minute’s silence was held in Binev’s memory.
The investigation remains ongoing, with the possible financial dispute still under examination. The case has brought the death of a prominent figure in international taekwondo into the spotlight, while questions surrounding the circumstances and motive remain unresolved.
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