( dpa ) - The family of a Bulgarian dissident have demanded an independent inquiry into his assassination in London three decades ago.
An open letter sent to the Bulgarian Justice Department by relatives of Georgi Markov claimed that recent revelations shed new light on one of the most mysterious incidents of the Cold War.
Markov, a Bulgarian emigre broadcaster who worked for Britain's BBC, died a few days after being stabbed in the leg with the poison- coated tip of an umbrella.
At the time, the communist Bulgarian regime of Todor Zhivkov was blamed for his death, but the culprit was never found.
Markov's family claimed new evidence discovered by investigative journalist Hristo Hristov showed the Bulgarian secret services alerting their KGB colleagues in Moscow to the damage being done by Markov's broadcasts.
The family said the original investigation failed to take into account Bulgarian secret service files seen by Hristov and detailed in a book published last week.
One of files showed that an Italian-born Dane, who went under the code-name Piccadilly, was the agent who assassinated Markov.
According to the files, Piccadilly's real name is Francesco Gullino.
He was reportedly trained in Bulgaria for the assignment and received a large sum of money for the killing.
Hristov said important documents relating to killing were destroyed after the collapse of communism in Bulgaria in 1990.
The new information is in strong contrast to remarks by officials during the original investigation who claimed Markov had died as a result of a doctor's error, according to the dissident's family.
Markov's widow, Annabel, his brother, Nikola, and cousin, Ljuben, planned to get in touch with EU institutions in order to make sure further investigation is not manipulated, the family said.
Justice authorities in Sofia announced last week they would continue the search for Markov's killer despite the expiry of the 30- year statute of limitations on September 11.