site.btaFor Eleventh Time, Varna Residents Protest Mayor Blagomir Kotsev’s Arrest

For the eleventh consecutive time, residents of Varna took to the streets to protest the continued detention of the city’s mayor, Blagomir Kotsev, and of municipal councillors Nikolay Stefanov and Yordan Kateliev.

Protesters gathered in front of City Hall, where acting mayor Pavel Popov addressed the crowd. Demonstrators held up a large banner reading “Freedom for Varna – Freedom for Blago” and carried placards calling for the release of the two councillors.

For the first time since the protests began, demonstrators blocked the key intersection in front of City Hall, disrupting traffic in the city centre for around half an hour. During the blockade, chants of “Freedom,” “We want our mayor,” “Freedom for Blago,” and “Freedom for Varna” echoed through the square. Afterward, the crowd marched in a protest procession to the Palace of Justice in Independence Square.

The Varna Mayor was arrested on July 8. He is charged with corruption and involvement with an organized crime group. The case against him has been moved to Sofia. On September 12, the Sofia City Court rejected Kotsev’s request to review his pre-trial detention. Two members of the Varna Municipal Council are also in remand, but they have apparently not asked for a review of the measure.

The case has sparked a wave of public protests in Varna and Sofia. The previous demonstration was on September 22 in the seaside city. Local representatives of the Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria coalition in Varna issued a statement claiming that Kotsev was being held because of his political office and would be released only if he resigned. On Tuesday, the Sofia Court of Appeal reaffirmed the lower court's decision and ruled that Mayor Kotsev will remain in custody. The ruling is final.