site.btaProtesters Rally against Borislav Sarafov’s Election as Prosecutor General

Protesters organized by the Justice for All Initiative gathered in front of the Sofia Palace of Justice on Wednesday to demand judicial reform and an end to the procedures for electing a new prosecutor general and president of the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC). The protestors insist that the only candidate for the position of prosecutor general, Borislav Sarafov, lacks the necessary moral and professional qualities to do the job.

The protesters are also adamant that the two procedures for the election of the heads of the prosecution service and the SAC are illegitimate, because they were carried out by a body with an expired mandate.

Lawyer Emil Georgiev of Justice for All told reporters: "Tonight we want to address the MPs, because they must find the strength, speed and consensus to present the right agenda: to adopt the amendments to the Judicial System Act first and then to address the other issues, electing a prime minister and amending the Electoral Code."

The election of a new prosecutor general is scheduled for January 16, 2025. The Justice for All Initiative does not believe this deadline is sufficient for the bills to take effect. The expected approval of Vanya Stefanova as deputy prosecutor general would also be a preparation for a possible "regrouping in the prosecution service's ranks," Georgiev said. He added: "We consider this to be preparation in case the bills tabled by Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria get adopted. They contain a prohibition on a candidate for acting prosecutor to also be a candidate for prosecutor general."

Late last year, Justice for All staged eight consecutive weeks of protests demanding amendments to the Judicial System Act.

On Tuesday, the parliamentary Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs adopted on first reading three amendments to the legislation.

The procedure for the election of the Prosecutor General was opened on June 22, 2024, by the Plenum of the Supreme Judicial Council on the proposal of the Prosecutors Chamber. Acting Prosecutor General Sarafov was nominated for election to the post of Prosecutor General as the only candidate on October 10, 2024, by three members of the Prosecutors Chamber: Stefan Petrov, Plamen Naydenov and Svetlana Boshnakova.

On November 21, 2024, the Plenum of the Supreme Judicial Council agreed to reopen the procedure for electing a president of the SAC, after the first procedure failed due to lack of candidates. The current President of the SAC, Georgi Cholakov, was appointed acting SAC President after his seven-year term expired on November 22, 2024, until a new president is elected.