site.btaPeevski Slams Radev for Undermining Yoncheva's Mission to Rescue Bulgarian Sailors

Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) Chair Delyan Peevski criticized President Radev for provoking rather than respecting or admiring the humanitarian mission of MRF’s Member of European Parliament Elena Yoncheva to rescue the kidnapped Bulgarian sailors from the Galaxy Leader vessel, the MRF press service said on Friday.

The sailors, including Captain Lyubomir Chanev and First Mate Danail Veselinov, have been held captive by the Houthis since November last year, along with 17 other sailors.

"Radev is once again trying to make use of issues to boost his public image. It's all about his ego. If it weren't so harmful to those whose lives he and his team have ignored for 11 months, it would just be sad. Let Elena (Yoncheva) do her job; she knows what she's doing. Radev should step back and stop pretending to be a saviour. His appearances and PR stunts invariably cause either tragedies or ridicule," Peevski said.

MEP Elena Yoncheva visited Yemen on September 19, 2024 for a meeting with Captain Lyubomir Chanev and First Mate Danail Veselinov. She confirmed that she was able to meet with both of them, while earlier this week, President Radev sought Iran's help in securing the release of Bulgarian sailors taken hostage by Houthis, emphasizing the issue as a priority during his meeting with Iranian leaders at the UN.

Peevski added, "The incident at Graf Ignatievo after his promotional flight hasn't been forgotten. Those responsible for the tragedy remain in their positions because of the pressure he exerted to keep them there."

He was referring to the incident on September 13, when a military L-39 ZA aircraft crashed near Graf Ignatievo Air Base on Friday killing two pilots during preparations for an air show.