site.btaUPDATED Protesters Storm Prosecutor General's Office, Demanding Borislav Sarafov's Resignation
People stormed the Prosecutor General's office on the fourth floor in Sofia's Palace of Justice on Thursday, demanding the resignation of acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov. The crowd was stopped by security guards. Some protesters tried to push the rest away from the office door.
A few demonstrators and police officers were pushed to the ground. People were banging on the office door, chanting "Civic protest," "Sarafov out," and "People's court." Eggs were thrown at the door.
Earlier in the day, citizens protested in front of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against Sarafov. There was heightened police presence in the area. The protest was organized by the BOEC civic association.
A controversy has emerged regarding the legitimacy of acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov's continued tenure beyond the six-month limit stipulated by recent amendments to the Judicial System Act. The law mandates that interim appointments to key judicial positions (acting Prosecutor General, acting Presidents of Supreme Court of Cassation and Supreme Administrative Court) cannot exceed six months. Sarafov was appointed on June 16, 2023, and the six-month period expired on July 21, 2025, but he and the Prosecutors Chamber insist that the restriction does not apply to him as his appointment predated the legal revisions. The Supreme Court of Cassation, however, determined on October 2, 2025, that Sarafov no longer holds the authority to perform the functions of Prosecutor General, due to the expiration of the six-month period. This legal dispute has sparked political debates, with critics accusing Sarafov and the Prosecutors Chamber of disregarding the law and maintaining an unconstitutional status quo.
Later on Thursday, SJC will hold a sitting to determine a temporary acting Prosecutor General, according to the agenda published on the SJC website, being the only item on the agenda. The sitting was convened by caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov.
On Wednesday evening, citizens protested in front of the Palace of Justice in Sofia with the same demand.
/KK/
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