site.btaProsecuting Magistracy Demands Remand in Custody for Presidential Candidate after Attack on LGBTI Community Centre

November 5 (BTA) - The prosecuting magistracy has petitioned the court with a demand to remand in custody presidential candidate Boyan Stankov, better known as Boyan Rasate, the Sofia City Court said on Friday. Rasate is the leader of the Bulgarian National Union (BNU) and is running for president at the November 14 elections.

Rasate was arrested on November 2 as part of an investigation of an attack against an LGBTI community centre on October 30.

Rasate, whose immunity as a presidential runner was meanwhile lifted, was charged with disorderly conduct, public disrespect and causing minor injury to a person driven by hooliganism.

Rasate's arrest came after it was established that on October 30, together with a group of people from BNU, he entered the office of Rainbow Hub, an LGBTI community centre in Sofia, and started shouting, tearing down furniture and spraying the walls. Pre-trial proceedings were instituted for the fact that Rasate, in complicity with other unidentified persons ''has committed obscene acts, grossly violating public order and expressing obvious disrespect for society, characterized by extreme audacity''.