Georgi Markov was assassinated by a sophisticated political poisoning in London in 1978
Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian dissident and journalist, was killed in 1978 after being stabbed with an umbrella on Waterloo Bridge in London. Forensic analysis revealed that a minute metal pellet, no bigger than a pinhead, was injected into his thigh.
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This pellet, made of a rare platinum iridium alloy, contained a small amount of of lethal ricin toxin. Scientists at Porton Down identified the toxin as ricin, which had never been used for murder in Britain before this event. The assassination was linked to the Bulgarian and Soviet governments, with experts suggesting the Soviet KGB developed the umbrella technique. The Bulgarian government officially denied that Markov's broadcasts for Radio Free Europe had a significant influence, but President Todor Zhivkov reportedly took strong exception to Markov's revealing talks about the Bulgarian regime. Markov's widow, Annabel Markov, and his brother, Nikolai Markov, stated they received warnings of the plot months before his death. The assassination remains an open inquiry in the United Kingdom, while Bulgaria closed the case in 2013.