The Sofia Appellate Court has left Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev and the two municipal councilors Nikolay Stefanov and Yordan Kateliev in custody. Businessman Ivaylo Marinov has been released under a recognizance bond. It is believed that the mayor's reinstatement may hinder the investigation. The four detainees are charged with participating in an organized crime group and corruption related to public procurement.

"We will be waiting for you here tomorrow, Friday, at 6:30 p.m., to show that Bulgaria is not a prosecutor’s republic", said Nikolay Denkov, one of the leaders of the "We Continue the Change" party, after the court session.

"As close friends and partners in the EU and NATO, Bulgaria and Germany maintain a friendly and trust-based dialogue", the German Embassy in Sofia wrote in response to a statement by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding Ambassador Irene Plank’s presence at a protest in Sofia supporting the detained Mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev.

"The German Embassy in Sofia follows all significant domestic political developments. Sometimes this includes gathering personal impressions from various protests. This is the reason for Ambassador Irene Plank’s visit to the protest organized by Justice for All’’, the embassy wrote on Facebook. 

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photo: BTA