site.btaCourt of Appeal Upholds Bail Amount for Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev

The Varna Court of Appeal has upheld the ruling of the Varna District Court that changed Mayor Blagomir Kotsev’s detention measure from “remand in custody” to bail of BGN 200,000. His defence had asked the court to replace the bail with recognizance not to leave - or drop any restrictions.

Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev was arrested on July 8 as part of a corruption investigation initiated by the Anti-Corruption Commission. He was ultimately charged with participation in an organized criminal group, malfeasance in office and bribery. Courts at several instances repeatedly upheld the prosecution’s request to keep Kotsev in detention, and he remained in custody for nearly five months. On November 27, the Varna District Court replaced his remand with a bail of BGN 200,000, allowing his release pending trial.

The Court of Appeal finds that the legally required “reasonable presumption” of the defendant’s involvement in the crimes he is charged with is present. It also notes that the bail amount must correspond to the defendant’s financial capacity, and sufficient information has been collected regarding the mayor’s income. The data shows that between 2022 and 2024 he had additional earnings beyond his salary. On these grounds, the Court of Appeal ruled that the type and amount of the imposed detention measure should not be changed.

The decision is not subject to further appeal.

Kotsev's arrest triggered large-scale protests in Varna, Sofia and other major cities. The arrest also caused an outrage and accusations of political repressions. The Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, of which Continue Change is a part, condemned the growing attack on democratic institutions and the rule of law in Bulgaria, of which they believe the Varna Mayor's arrest is an illustration.