site.btaBulgarian Lawyer-MP Denies Involvement in Citizenship Cases amid Citizenship Fraud Investigation

Lawyer-MP Yavor Haytov of Alliance for Rights and Freedoms has publicly denied ever representing a citizenship applicant before the Directorate for Bulgarian Citizenship at the Ministry of Justice. He posted on Facebook on the matter on Thursday after his name was implicated by the news media in a citizenship fraud involving the said Directorate.

The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday that a pre-trial investigation has been opened into an organized criminal group operating in Sofia between early 2021 and June 2025. The group is suspected of committing document-related crimes and acting with selfish motives, allegedly involving fraudulent citizenship applications. Haytov's name - or any other names - was not mentioned in the Sofia Prosecutor's Office press release.

In a Facebook post, Haytov stated, "In my 25 years of practice as a lawyer, I have never represented an applicant before the Directorate for Bulgarian Citizenship at the Ministry of Justice." 

Haytov further clarified for BTA, "I do not comment on ongoing legal proceedings, as I am a lawyer and have never been a party to this type of administrative case. I want the investigation to develop a clearer picture before making any further comments."