site.btaParliament Allows Criminal Prosecution of Ataka Leader Volen Siderov

Parliament Allows Criminal Prosecution of  Ataka Leader Volen Siderov

Sofia, December 17 (BTA) - Parliament Friday permitted criminal prosecution of Ataka leader and MP in the 43rd National Assembly Volen Siderov on two motions submitted by Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov. On November 30 Tsatsarov submitted motions to strip Ataka leader Siderov of immunity in two cases from 2011 and 2013.

On May 17, 2011 Siderov interrupted formal observances of the 135th anniversary of the April Uprising in Batak when he burst onto the stage followed by supporters and fellow Ataka members, violating and disrespecting public order in an extremely arrogant manner.

The second motion is in connection with an incident on May 21, 2013 outside Parliament in Sofia, when Siderov clashed physically with a journalist from SKAT TV, demanding an apology about a statement made by the TV station owner. Later the Ataka leader attacked the police officer who tried to break up the men.
 
The Ataka MPs were not in plenary.
 
MP Yanaki Stoilov said that the group of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Left Bulgaria has decided to support the motions of the Prosecutor General. However, he asked, how they should interpret the fact that the prosecution needs from two to four years to collect the necessary information and submit it to the National Assembly. Who will benefit from this being done now, Stoilov asked. One possible solution would be to "keep the Ataka group on a short leash". Another possible reason could be that Ataka itself needs  these actions so that its leader could be declared a martyr of the unreformed judicial system. Stoilov also suggested the establishment of a standing committee on MP immunity.
 
Georgi Kadiev, who is no longer a member of the parliamentary group, also said the majority is holding Ataka on a leash and that without their votes the revisions to the Constitution would not have passed.

Siderov and fellow party member Dessislav Choukolov have already been charged with hooliganism involving extreme arrogance and for coercion committed in late October. On November 17, Siderov and fellow party member and MP Dessislav Choukolov were arrested, but were released on bail later. The two voluntarily gave up their MP immunity.