site.btaContinue the Change Rejects Allegations of Interference in Petrohan Case

Continue the Change on Tuesday categorically and unconditionally rejected all allegations of any “interference” on its part in the serious criminal case related to Petrohan Lodge and Okolchitsa. In a statement issued by the party’s press centre, it said such claims are not merely untrue but constitute deliberate political manipulation and a cynical attempt to use a tragedy, in which children are among the victims and those affected, as a tool in an election campaign. 

What has become known as the Petrohan case is a high-profile criminal case in which five men and a 15-year-old boy met a violent death between February 1 and 8. Their bodies were found in two remote mountain locations in Northwestern Bulgaria: a lodge near the Petrohan Pass and a camper van near Okolchitsa Peak. Forensic experts established that all six died of gunshot wounds. Law enforcement officials said the principal leads they followed, based on ballistics findings, are homicide succeeded by suicide or suicide only. The deceased were associated with a non-governmental conservation group called National Protected Areas Control Agency (NPACA), to which the Mayor of Sofia has donated money.

Attempts to manipulate public opinion at the expense of children and their families at a time when society expects truth and justice, rather than political games and artificial division, are unacceptable, the statement said.

The party said it unequivocally condemns any violence and abuse involving children. Crimes against children are among the gravest offences against citizens and require a swift, independent and uncompromising investigation. Anyone who has committed or concealed such acts must bear the full weight of the law, regardless of position, connections or influence. The same applies, it said, to institutional leaders and officials whose actions or inaction have contributed to the tragic events.

The party called for the inclusion of international experts in the investigation and for establishing the objective truth based solely on facts and evidence. The scale and seriousness of the case require independent expertise and full transparency at every stage in order to restore public trust.

According to the statement, the current [outgoing] Interior Minister is clearly incapable of fulfilling this task. The party therefore urged the next interior minister to ensure full transparency of the investigation and to provide a clear answer as to how many representatives of the security services were aware of the activities of the so-called National Protected Areas Control Agency in connection with Petrohan Lodge and its occupants, and why no effective measures were taken for at least 12 months.

The party called for the investigation to continue with maximum priority until the full truth is established.

It also warned that it will take legal action against anyone who continues to spread defamatory claims against the party, its members and supporters in connection with the criminal case, with which it said it has no involvement. Political immunity is not an indulgence for irresponsible accusations, the statement added.