Protests demanding the resignation of acting Chief Prosecutor Borislav Sarafov will be held in front of courthouses in Sofia and several other cities across Bulgaria.

Organizers say Sarafov has no right to hold the post and has, for at least six months, concentrated power in the Prosecutor’s Office with the support of the Prosecutors’ College of the Supreme Judicial Council. They accuse him of selectively deciding who faces prosecution and who is protected from accountability.

According to the organizers, Sarafov has been a key figure in what they describe as a selectively operating prosecution system for over a decade. They link him to entrenched informal networks in the judiciary, referring to the so-called “Family” and to figures connected to Petyo Petrov, known as “the Euro,” who is wanted by Interpol. They argue this system has turned the justice apparatus into a tool serving private interests rather than the rule of law.

They call for sustained and mass civic pressure, recalling that in December last year protests took place in more than 20 Bulgarian cities, which they say helped force the resignation of a government serving the interests of Delyan Peevski and Boyko Borissov - a victory they describe as historic for at least three generations.

The Initiative for Justice also warned that Bulgaria is approaching early parliamentary elections, which they claim could be manipulated through changes in voting procedures and technology. They argue such risks increase if the Prosecutor’s Office and Interior Ministry act in coordination. According to them, GERB and DPS-New Beginning have retained influence over the judiciary and law enforcement, with Peevski allegedly controlling the acting Chief Prosecutor and, through him, the entire Prosecutor’s Office, as well as exerting influence in the Interior Ministry.

The protest is scheduled for Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., starting in front of the courthouse and moving to the building of the Supreme Judicial Council, whose plenum meets the next day. Demonstrators demand that Sarafov resign immediately or be removed and replaced by another acting chief prosecutor until a permanent appointment is made by a fully constituted Supreme Judicial Council.

Link to the Facebook event