Kiril Petkov, co-chairman of the political party "We Continue the Change" (WCC), has been summoned as a defendant in the case surrounding the arrest of Boyko Borissov, Vladislav Goranov, and Sevdelina Arnaudova. The summons, which was issued today at 5 p.m., marks Petkov’s formal involvement in the case, which he has described as a "political attack" aimed at his party.

Petkov revealed that he had been notified of the charges and will face questioning at the Prosecutor's Office on January 10. He pointed out that the prosecutor leading the case, Angel Kanev, was previously a deputy chairman of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, which WCC helped disband. He expressed his belief that the case was politically motivated, targeting his party’s influence and undermining its efforts.

During a briefing, Petkov also criticized the detention of Lacho, the driver of WCC member Asen Vassilev, who was left in custody during the Christmas holidays. He suggested that this was done to demonstrate control over state institutions. Petkov also commented on the recent legal moves against two WCC-affiliated mayors in Sofia, claiming that these actions were part of a broader attempt to weaken WCC ahead of upcoming elections.

Lena Borislavova, another prominent WCC member, addressed the immunity requests against her, stating that she would waive her immunity after the holidays but not before, to avoid tarnishing her family’s celebrations. She expressed confidence in the legal process, asserting that she had nothing to fear if the case against her was based on honest evidence. However, Borislavova emphasized her commitment to fighting the political forces undermining Bulgaria’s rule of law.

Asen Vassilev also commented on the situation, suggesting that the prosecutor's office was selectively targeting opposition members while ignoring cases involving politicians from parties currently negotiating for a government. He expressed skepticism about the timing of the legal actions, questioning whether it was a coincidence or a strategic political maneuver.

In his statement, Petkov reiterated his resolve to continue fighting for a rule-of-law state in Bulgaria, dismissing the attacks against his party as part of a systematic effort to hinder WCC's progress. He also underscored his belief that figures like Delyan Peevski would eventually be marginalized in Bulgarian politics, citing WCC's commitment to a cleaner political future.

Background:

Former Prime Minister Kiril Petkov is accused by the prosecution of exceeding his authority by personally ordering the arrest of GERB leader Boyko Borissov in 2022. Acting Chief Prosecutor Borislav Sarafov has requested that Petkov’s immunity be lifted, a request which Petkov has agreed to waive.

Leaked protocols from witness interrogations have revealed that the plan to arrest Borissov was discussed in Petkov's office at the Council of Ministers. Key figures present included then-Deputy Prime Minister Assen Vassilev, Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov, as well as heads of the tax authority and National Security Service, Rumen Specsov and Emil Tonev, among others.

These leaked materials appear to have been collected shortly after the October 2022 parliamentary elections. However, the prosecutor's office has not provided an explanation for why action is being taken now, more than two and a half years after the incident. The request for Petkov's immunity coincides with ongoing government formation talks.

Borissov was arrested on March 17, 2022, alongside his former spokeswoman Sevdelina Arnaudova and former Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov, with charges related to blackmailing businessman Vasil Bozhkov. Bozhkov had claimed that during Borissov’s third term as prime minister (2017-2021), he was blackmailed and forced to pay 60 million leva to Borissov, Goranov, and Arnaudova. The three were held for 24 hours, but no charges were filed against them, and the court later ruled their arrests illegal. The investigation into Bozhkov’s accusations was terminated the following year.

A day after Sarafov's request to lift Petkov’s immunity, media outlets aired excerpts from witness testimonies that suggested Petkov personally ordered the arrest of Borissov without informing the prosecutor’s office, even insisting on the use of handcuffs.

The arrest was reportedly carried out under a state of urgency, meaning the Ministry of Internal Affairs acted first and sought post-facto approval. However, the prosecutor’s office later declared both the arrests and the subsequent searches to be illegal, a ruling which was also upheld by the court.

Over two years later, the prosecutor's office conducted a series of interrogations, the protocols of which were leaked to the media. Among the testimonies, police officers involved in the case stated they were told they lacked the authority to carry out the arrests but were pressured by Petkov to proceed. Tsvetan Yotsov, the officer tasked with arresting Borissov, stated he received multiple orders from Petkov’s officials but declined to use handcuffs, citing a lack of justification.

Other key testimonies, including those of Spetsov and Tonev, describe events in Petkov’s office after the arrest, where witnesses claim the group celebrated with whiskey. Borissov commented on this the previous day, criticizing the involvement of WCC-DB politicians in judicial reform, suggesting that their celebratory behavior during such a serious event undermines their credibility.

Based on this evidence, the prosecutor’s office are charging Petkov with exceeding his authority by unlawfully ordering the National Police to begin pre-trial proceedings against individuals over whom they had no jurisdiction, constituting a crime in office.

Sources:

• Nova TV
• Bulgarian National Radio (BNR)
• Radio Free Europe Bulgaria