site.btaInterior Minister Mitov: Interior Ministry Will Not Be Used for Political Battles

Interior Minister Daniel Mitov said Monday he would not allow the Ministry of the Interior to be used for political purposes. He was speaking at a briefing at the Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry in Dobrich.

"The Ministry of Interior cannot become a hostage to disputes and conflicts between political parties or factions within them," Mitov said.

He commented on a police response on April 12, when officers entered a building in Sofia’s Boyana borough. Mitov said police had acted on two alerts – one from individuals linked to a political party, and another from the property owner. He said officers were carrying out their duties and did not require instructions by law. Mitov added he monitored the situation but did not intervene or issue any guidance.

In a video posted on the Democracy, Rights and Freedoms (DRF)-MRF Facebook page, DRF-MRF’s Valentin Tonchev said the youth wing had been invited by Ahmed Dogan to hold a meeting of the DRF Youth National Council.

The events in Boyana unfolded against the backdrop of a political and legal rift within the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). Tonchev and other youth members, aligned with MRF founder Ahmed Dogan, said they were removed by police from a property where they had gathered at his invitation. Dogan claims the site has long served as a venue for party activities. The property is claimed by Delta Epsilon, whose representative, former transport minister Danail Papazov, said Dogan and his supporters entered unlawfully.

The incident follows a 2024 party split between Dogan and former ally Delyan Peevski, who now leads the rival MRF–New Beginning. It also came weeks after a court rejected Dogan’s claim to the MRF trademark. Disputes over police actions and property ownership remain unresolved.