site.btaParliament Authorizes Detention of Ataka Leader Siderov, MP Choukolov

Parliament Authorizes Detention of Ataka Leader Siderov,  MP Choukolov

Sofia, November 11 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Parliament authorized the detention of Ataka MPs Volen Siderov and Dessislav Choukolov on Wednesday.

The voting comes in response to an October 26 motion by the Prosecutor General for authorizing the start of criminal proceedings against Siderov and Choukolov and
their detention in connection with an incident on October 23, when they burst into the building of the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts.

Earlier in the day, the two MPs voluntarily asked Parliament to lift their immunity.

MPs decided to authorize the detention of Ataka leader Siderov by 124 votes in favour, 19 against and 15 abstentions. The proposal that authorizes Choukolov's detention was approved by 118 votes, 18 were against and 14 abstained.

After the voting in Parliament, Siderov told journalists that "the political repression is in full force against the only party in opposition. Of course I expect us to be detained, it's obvious that this will happen because political repression is being committed against us," he added.

Charges of hooliganism were pressed against the two on Tuesday, after Parliament approved another request also made by the Prosecutor General. He asked to have Siderov's and Choukolov's immunity lifted over a separate incident in central Sofia from a month ago, in which the two accused the owners of a small tobacco shop of selling drugs and displayed aggressive behaviour.