The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) has called for the resignation of Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, vowing to seek the instant intervention of EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Redding with regard to his attacks against the judiciary.

BHC's appeal was issued after Tsvetanov's statement following the arrests after the July 02 failed bank robbery attempt in downtown Sofia. The operation codenamed "The Protected" ended with the arrest of 10 high-profile bank robbers sporting nicknames such as "the Briefcase", "the Bloodhound", "the Brain", "the Thief", "the Crooked", etc.

Commenting on "the Protected", Tsvetanov reiterated his complaint that the police forces duly captured criminals who were subsequently released by the court, vowing to name new specialized operations after the magistrates who let out offenders on bail.

"The threats issued by Tsvetanov against judges with regard to their future rulings on concrete cases, namely to use their names as stigmata, are an act of primitive violence against the judiciary, whose independence is instrumental to the existence of the state", BHC has said.

According to the non-governmental organization, this constitutes "a rude, personalized and direct act of aggression against people on whom the fair trial depends, aimed at forcing them to behave as the police wants them to".

In BHC's words, "a politician dares to place himself above the law using force and to replace the court in giving each his due. ..This has grown into sick hatred".

The NGO further points out that Tsvetanov applies double standards of law when it comes to hiw own conduct.

"Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and Justice Minister Margarita Popova must react instantly to Tsvetanov's act, with Borisov removing him from his post. If they are incapable of doing this, then they must step down themselves.", BHC has urged, pledging to ask Commissioner Reding to interfere and put an end to the erosion of the rule of law in Bulgaria.

BHC has also emphasized that the future trials surrounding the 02 July failed bank robbery attempt in Sofia have already been discredited because Tsvetanov's statements have flouted the presumption of innocence.

According to the human rights NGO, the silence on the part of the Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) amid such an act of violence against the judiciary for yet another time demonstrates its subservience to the Interior Minister.

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