Last night, demonstrations were held on Wednesday in Sofia, Varna and Plovdiv, with protesters demanding the resignation of Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov. The actions were organised by the Justice for Everyone initiative and Students Against the Mafia. In the capital, demonstrators gathered in front of the Palace of Justice and later marched to the building of the Supreme Judicial Council.

Speaking at the Sofia protest, lawyer Emil Georgiev from Justice for Everyone said the Constitutional Court had refused to take into account Sarafov’s opinions in constitutional cases, which, according to him, showed that the court did not recognise Sarafov as having legitimate standing. Georgiev argued that Sarafov’s continued presence in the post constituted a clear breach of the law. He announced that the organisers would insist on including an agenda item on the acting prosecutor general at the first plenary meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council for the year, scheduled for Thursday. The protest in Sofia ended with a march to the Council’s headquarters.

In Varna, citizens staged a silent protest outside the city’s Palace of Justice. Their central demand was again Sarafov’s resignation. One demonstrator held a sign reading “Lock up Sarafov”. Among those present was Varna Deputy Mayor Pavel Popov.

In Plovdiv, protesters gathered in front of the Prosecutor’s Office, also calling for Sarafov to be removed. Students Against the Mafia coordinator for Plovdiv, Stoyan Stefanov, said the protest was directed against what he described as oligarchic control over the judiciary. The rally there was held under the slogan “We are not props in the prosecutors’ show.”

A separate protest in Sofia, also organised by Justice for Everyone, took place in front of the Courthouse. Among the participants were politicians from WCC–DB, including Asen Vassilev, Atanas Atanasov and Ivaylo Mirchev. Protesters carried posters with messages such as “SarafOFF – a systemic error”, “SarafOFF out!”, as well as calls for the resignation of Sarafov and the “illegal SJC”.

In a statement, Justice for Everyone said that Borislav Sarafov had no right to occupy the position of chief prosecutor and accused him of having usurped power in the Prosecutor’s Office for at least six months, with the support of the Prosecutor’s College of the Supreme Judicial Council. According to the organisers, he effectively decides who is prosecuted and who is protected.