site.btaFour International Judges Associations Write to CoE Human Rights Comissioner, EU Justice Commissioner about Pressure on Bulgarian Judges

The Association of European Administrative Judges (AEAJ), Magistrats Européens pour la Démocratie et les Libertés (MEDEL), the European Association of Judges (EAJ) and the Judges for Judges organization have sent a letter to the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, and EU Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Didier Reynders, to voice concern over cases of judges "exposed to pressure and intimidating conduct in connection with the exercise of their professional duties".

More particularly, the senders write about "alarming developments" concerning Judge Vladislava Tzarigradska, "who is facing serious pressures and threats for acting in an independent manner, for openly denouncing attacks on the independence of the judiciary and bravely fighting for the rule of law".

The letter says: "After a media smear campaign in 2019 and the threats that led in January 2020 to the assignment of security measures to her and her family for several months, in February 2020 Judge Tzarigradska, at that time serving at Lukovit District Court, and Judge Tsvetko Lazarov, of the Sofia Court of Appeal, reported in a public session of the Judicial Chamber of the Superior Council of the Judiciary on the attacks and pressure they had received from specific individuals while conducting criminal proceedings. One of these individuals was shot dead in January 2024. For the threats and pressure repeatedly denounced since 2019 by Judge Tzarigradska, criminal proceedings were only initiated in May 2023, and no charges have been yet brought against anyone. After her last public statements on the threats she received, Judge Tzarigradska was again targeted by media attacks and threatening messages, to the extent that security measures have been ordered again since last February."

The letter recalls that in the past, Judge Lozan Panov, at that time President of the Supreme Court of Cassation, was the target of systematic harassment and his life and physical integrity were directly threatened. It says that media and official sources referred to attempts of criminal organizations to put pressure on judges, also from within the judiciary itself.

The four organizations further write of "lack of any effective accountability of the Prosecutor General and of any mechanism of judicial review against the decisions of prosecutors not to open investigations, as well as the excessive involvement of prosecutors, and of the Prosecutor General in particular, with the governance of judges", and say that these had been longstanding issues, which were raised by the European Court of Human Rights, the Council of Europe and the European Commission.

The letter signatories urge the CoE and the European Commission to give full and close attention to the particular situation of Judge Vladislava Tzarigradska and urgently ask the Bulgarian authorities for further information and clarifications on the issues addressed, It also asks them to examine the situation in Bulgaria and to take the necessary steps to ensure the presence of an independent judiciary, free from any undue influence.

The letter is signed by AEAJ President Sylvain Mérenne, EAJ President Mikael Sjöberg, Judges for Judges President Tamara Trotman and MEDEL President Mariarosaria Guglielmi.