Volen Siderov, leader of the Bulgarian nationalist party Ataka (i.e. "Attack"), was drunk and used racist remarks against the attendants of a Lufthansa flight, the German police have announced.

The police in Frankfurt have confirmed the news announced Wednesday night by the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry – that Siderov caused a scandal aboard the Lufthansa aircraft and was detained upon landing. He himself and his party Ataka have denied vehemently the news threatening to sue everybody spreading it.

As he was being detained at the Frankfurt Airport, Siderov also insulted a German policewoman who has filed a complaint against him, the Dnevnik Daily reported citing the Frankfurt Police.

It also quotes the Chair of the Ataka Parliamentary Group and former MEP, Desislav Chukolov, as saying that the Spokesperson of Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry, Dragovest Goranov, who confirmed the news about Siderov’s detention in Frankfurt, would be held accountable.

“Siderov has not been detained, not to even speak of arrested. He has done nothing that contradicts good behavior and norms,” Chukolov said.

The office announcement of the Frankfurt police on the website Polizeipresse.de reads that the 53-year-old misbehaved about the Sofia-Frankfurt flight, refused to obey the commands of the crew, and the flight captain warned the Airport personnel that he had a passenger who was “out of control.”

The announcement further says that police officers from several patrols sent to the aircraft upon landing learned from the plane crew that Siderov misbehaved the entire time of the flight – he refused to fasten his seatbelt during takeoff and landing, refused to remain on his seat, tossed the food that was brought to him, constantly hindered the work of the stewardesses and insulted them with racist words, and even got into the board kitchen.

During the police inspection about the plane, he also insulted a policewoman. The police did not test him for alcohol because he showed his diplomatic passport (he is a Bulgarian MP).

Two suits have been filed against Siderov so far – from the policewoman and from a member of the crew of the Lufthansa flight. The German company Lufthansa has declined to comment officially but has admitted there was an incident with a misbehaving Bulgarian passenger aboard the Sofia-Frankfurt flight.

Siderov's Ataka party is a firm backer of the ruling Bulgarian party GERB and the Borisov government.

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