Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, has reacted to the dismissal of Miroslava Todorova, Chair of the Bulgarian Judges Association and Judge at the Sofia City Court, saying it was a pure provocation.

Judge Miroslava Todorova, who gained reputation as the strongest critic of the Supreme Judicial Council and Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, was dismissed Thursday by the Supreme Judicial Council VSS on disciplinary grounds (unreasonable delay of proceedings).

Borisov based his claim that the move was a provocation on the fact that it came just days before the European Commission is to publish the Monitoring Report on Bulgaria's Justice System and Internal Affairs under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism.

"I would not want to interfere with the work of VSS, because it has been elected by the previous General Assembly. I cannot comment on the guilt or innocence of Judge Todorova, who was fired with a decision of this same VSS. But I see her dismissal, just days before the release of the EC reportas a provocation. This is a provocation against the huge effort we are making to improve Bulgaria's image and to reform the judicial system," Borisov declared.

Todorova already filed a libel lawsuit against Tsvetanov with the Sofia Regional Court in the beginning of February, after two consecutive interviews of the Interior Minister in which he accused her of incompetence and of patronizing organized crime because of the delayed presentation of the written motives to an eight-year jail sentence handed down to drug lord Vasil Manikatov.

Todorova is not seeking a monetary award and if the Interior Minister is found guilty, he will be penalized with a public reprimand and a fine of BGN 5000-15000 which will go into the state coffers.

Tsvetanov firmly rejects having a personal conflict with the judge.

Meanwhile, letters of support for Todorova from magistrates from all over the country have been pouring in.

Judges and citizens are organizing Friday an unprecedented protest rally in downtown Sofia in front of the VSS headquarters. The rally is scheduled to start at 10 am.

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