site.btaSarafov Resigns as Investigative Service Chief; Politicians React

Borislav Sarafov resigned as National Investigative Service Director and Deputy Prosecutor General on Wednesday. He tendered his bid in the morning, and it was later accepted by the Prosecutors Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council. "This is a decision I made after careful consideration," Sarafov stated. He became a rank-and-file investigating magistrate.

The change comes after Sarafov stepped down as acting Prosecutor General in April. His tenure at the helm of the prosecution service had lasted almost three years, overshadowed by a lingering controversy over his legitimacy, with critics accusing him and the Prosecutors Chamber of disregarding the law and maintaining an unconstitutional status quo. A number of Bulgarian courts argued that, under Judicial System Act amendments effective January 21, 2025, which limited to six months the period during which a particular individual can serve as acting prosecutor general, his capacity to serve in this office lapsed on July 21, 2025, i.e. six months after the entry into force of these provisions

Political leaders, lawmakers, magistrates comment

Prime Minister Rumen Radev: It is just the beginning of reforming the judicial system. This is a start that our society has long awaited, as the process was blocked for purely political reasons. I welcome the fact that Sarafov heeded the government's calls to resign.

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev (on Facebook): Borislav Sarafov's resignation is not a reform. However, it is a clear sign that the entire 'Sarafov clique' in the judicial system realizes that the political forces that have propped it up for years are losing power. Both Sarafov and the model he represents are impossible without his political patrons. The big task now is to expel this poison from the judicial system once and for all and not allow the dark forces to regroup.

Atanas Slavov MP of Democratic Bulgaria (speaking in Parliament): The Supreme Judicial Council should go ahead with disciplinary proceedings against Sarafov before formally accepting his resignation. Officials who have held senior positions in the prosecution service for years and are being probed for irregularities should not be allowed to leave office with substantial severance pay without facing disciplinary accountability. Democratic Bulgaria will propose extending the statute of limitations for disciplinary proceedings to two years in such cases.

Velislav Velichkov, MP of Continue the Change: Borislav Sarafov must not under any circumstances be allowed to leave the system before the disciplinary proceedings and the proceedings conducted by the ad hoc prosecutor are completed, because otherwise the traces would deliberately be covered up, which is a crime. For the first time, Borislav Sarafov is in a position to be investigated. As of today, he is an ordinary investigator, and this means that all facts related to his possible involvement in the 'Eight Dwarfs' scheme and in other schemes revealed in 2023 and 2024 must be completed — not only disciplinary proceedings, but also those conducted by the ad hoc prosecutor, which were initiated by the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Cassation. These actions were carried out in his capacity as deputy prosecutor general and acting prosecutor general, he added.

Vazrazhdane Deputy Floor Leader Peter Petrov: Sarafov has no place in the judicial system. With his intention to resign but stay on as an investigating magistrate, he aims to keep his functional immunity, which is granted in the judiciary. We in Vazrazhdane believe that his remaining in the investigation service, unfortunately, will in no way protect justice, the rights of Bulgarian citizens and live up to public expectations because society has built up enormous distrust towards the work carried out by him. Sarafov must leave the National Investigative Service as well.

GERB-UDF MP Stefan Arsov: Sarafov's resignation was a personal decision of his own. If GERB-UDF are asked for support on issues related to the Supreme Judicial Council in the future, they will participate.

Ognyan Damyanov of the Prosecutors Chamber: Sarafov will not receive severance pay equivalent to 20 monthly salaries. Several things were said today in the lobbies of Parliament that are not true. Sarafov has been released as NIS director and reassigned as an investigating magistratethere. In such cases, magistrates do not receive severance pay. I am not aware how the topic of 20 salaries in compensation came up.