site.btaProsecutor Summons Continue the Change Co-Chair Petkov for Questioning

Continue the Change (CC) Co-chair Kiril Petkov said on Thursday that he had been served with a summons and is now officially facing charges.

Speaking at a news briefing in Parliament, Petkov noted that he is the only one being summoned for the time being. "What I see is that this is an entirely politically motivated process," Petkov said.

The Sofia City Prosecution Office is investigating Petkov's role in a March 2022 arrest of GERB leader and former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.

Lachezar Stavrev, the driver of CC Co-chair Assen Vassilev, will remain in custody during the Christmas holidays. Petkov described this move as an attempt to demonstrate control over the institutions. "We stand firmly behind him [Stavrev]," Petkov said. He added that the stripping of CC MP Lena Borislavova of her immunity, along with other MPs, was requested to divert attention from what he called a direct attack on CC.

"[Movement for Rights and Freedoms-New Beginning leader Delyan] Peevski will never be a legitimate politician. The sanitary cordon has worked in Bulgaria, and it will work across Europe. No one will want to meet with him, no matter how much he thinks his tactic of using [institutions as] bludgeons will get him somewhere," Petkov said.

Approached about waiving her immunity, Borislavova said she will do so after the holidays. "As I said earlier, I will give up my immunity before it is put to the vote [in Parliament]. However, I will not do it now, before the holidays, because I will not let Mr Sarafov spoil the celebration the way he did with Stavrev's family," the MP said, adding that this does not imply she would be relying on GERB or any other political party for protection.

"If the procedure unfolds without faked witness testimony or fabricated evidence, I have nothing to worry about," she added. She also pointed to continued attacks on her colleagues from CC through institutions allegedly under Peevski's influence.

She nevertheless sees a positive aspect of these attacks: "People now have a clearer understanding of the importance of opposing Peevski and demanding that institutions operate impartially, which perhaps they did not before."

Borislavova announced that budget and legal affairs parliamentary committees would be established on Friday without designated leadership to expedite the adoption of amendments to the Judicial System Act. The revisions are intended to block the election of Borislav Sarafov as the new prosecutor general.

Asked whether the recent immunity waiver requests were intended to torpedo efforts to form a regular cabinet, Vassilev noted that these steps are selective. "No immunity waiver has been requested for members of GERB, the Bulgarian Socialist Party, There is Such a People, or Democratic Bulgaria — all parties engaged in the negotiations on a government. Such requests are only being made for those not involved in the negotiations." The CC Co-leader argued that this indicates the prosecution services is involved in political manoeuvres rather than pursuing legitimate legal action.

This is the latest in a series of actions targeting CC members. On December 9, 2024 the Sofia Regional Prosecution Office requested acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov to initiate a procedure for stripping Borislavova of her immunity.

Also on December 9, Sarafov asked Parliament to strip Petkov of his immunity as part of an ongoing investigation. The prosecution case alleges that, as prime minister, Petkov exceeded his authority in connection with the detention of GERB leader Boyko Borissov on March 17, 2022.

On December 10, Petkov formally waived his parliamentary immunity.

On December 11, Stavrev was detained and later charged with malfeasance in office, money laundering and criminal conspiracy.