Todor Vasilev, the Bulgarian father of the two children involved in the custody battle with their Polish mother firmly denies kidnapping the siblings from Poland.

Vasilev spoke in a special interview for Darik radio Sunday.

The father insists he had written permission, signed by the mother, to travel with his children to Bulgaria.

One of the siblings, the girl named Nikoleta, was taken to Poland Friday in a questionable way. Bulgaria's Justice Minister, Meglena Tacheva, stated Saturday that Vasilev must turn in the other child, the boy named Pavel, adding the father could face jail time and a fine of up to BGN 5 000.

Vasilev told Darik radio that he married his Polish wife Barbara in 1999. According to him, Barbara was initially a good mother, until 2003, when her drinking problems, allegedly, began.

Todor gave the account of how he would come back from work and find his wife asleep and drunk while the children played around unsupervised. The family also had their good times when Barbara was undergoing treatment and tried to stay sober.

Vasilev further explained that at some point Barbara decided to leave them and go work for several months in Palma De Majorca because she needed to adapt better and enter the work force after always been a housewife. Todor alleged Barbara lied to him, telling him she was a hotel maid in Palma De Majorca, while he found out she worked there as prostitute. During Barbara's absence, Todor's mother arrived on a bus from Bulgaria to take care of the children.

It was after Barbara returned from her work abroad when the father requested the authority's assistance. Todor claims he took Barbara to the Bulgarian Embassy in Warsaw in 2007, where in the presence of Boycho Gyurov, the then Bulgarian Consul, she signed an unconstrained declaration allowing the children to travel to Bulgaria with their father. According to Vasilev the document is kept with his lawyer and is available as evidence.

The horrific drama took place Wednesday in the town of Asenovgrad when the mother, Polish citizen, Barbara Vasilev, tried to take away her two children - 8-year-old Nikoleta and 7-year-old Pavel from their father.

The parents are separated, but not divorced. The children refused to leave with their mother, which led to the involvement of the local police, court authorities and a representative of the social services in the town.

A fight broke out while the authorities attempted to take the children by force. Pavel managed to escape and his whereabouts are unknown. (Todor told Darik that he did not know where his son was.)

A video of the shocking attempt to seize the two kids from their Bulgarian father against their will is available HERE.

In the last two years Pavel and Nikoleta lived with their father in Asenovgrad, after Todor decided to bring them there from Poland. Barbara filed a claim with a Polish Court saying the children were kidnapped. A trial began in Bulgaria for the abduction of the children, under the international Hague Convention. Vasilev was convicted of kidnapping by the Sofia City Court and his appeal was rejected by the higher Court.

An order to immediately return the children to Poland was issued by the Bulgarian authorities on March 13, 2009.

A protest meeting is taking place Sunday afternoon in front of the Polish Embassy building in Sofia.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!