site.btaContinue the Change Party Files Complaints over Alleged Judicial Misconduct in Varna Mayor’s Arrest

The Continue the Change (CC) party has submitted two official complaints to the Inspectorate of the Supreme Judicial Council regarding serious concerns about potential violations of the law, the judicial ethics code, and the principle of impartiality by representatives of the judiciary in a case that led to the arrest of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev and three others, the party's press office said on Tuesday.

Kotsev was arrested last week after a corruption tipoff from a failed public procurement tenderer. The arrest caused an outrage and protests in Varna and Sofia. On July 12, the Sofia City Court ordered pre-trial detention for Mayor Kotsev, municipal councillors Yordan Kateliev and Nikolay Stefanov, and businessman Ivaylo Marinov. The court’s decision is subject to appeal and review by a higher court.

The first of the two complaints which CC made public on Tuesday targets prosecutors Georgi Ivanov and Ahmed Kokoev from the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office. It alleges that they deliberately circumvented jurisdictional rules during the pre-trial proceedings by transferring the defendants from Varna to Sofia and submitting the request for permanent detention to the Sofia City Court, which lacks jurisdiction over the case. The complaint also raises concerns that the prosecutors may have altered their official statement just before the court hearing, introducing new elements, including the figure of an “unknown accused person” with immunity — a legal concept that does not exist under Bulgarian law.

The second complaint targets Judge Stoyan Mihov of the Sofia City Court, who reviewed the request for detention. CC expresses deep concern that, despite objections from the defence and clear procedural rules regarding jurisdiction, Judge Mihov proceeded with the case and rejected the objections without providing convincing justification. The complaint notes that there is publicly circulated information suggesting that parts of the altered prosecutorial statement may have been made at Judge Mihov’s instruction.

The Inspectorate of the Supreme Judicial Council, the acting Prosecutor General, the head of the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office, and the President of the Sofia City Court have all been notified. CC is calling for an urgent investigation to determine whether disciplinary breaches have occurred that undermine the reputation of the judiciary.

On Monday, Svenja Hahn, President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), requested an urgent meeting with the EU Commissioner for Justice and has called on the European Commission to intervene in response to the arrests of Mayor Kotsev, the two municipal councillors, and the businessman.

CC said Tuesday that protests in support of Blagomir Kotsev and against the abuse of power by the prosecution service in Bulgaria will be held in four European cities: London (outside the Bulgarian Embassy), Brussels (outside the European Parliament), Berlin (at the Bulgarian Embassy) and Munich (at Rindermarkt). The rallies are being organized by Bulgarians living there via the social media, for July 16. A new protest is also scheduled in Sofia for Wednesday evening.