Student protesters who occupied Sofia University say they will sue rector for slander

The group of student anti-government protesters who carried out the second short-lived “occupation” of the central campus of Sofia University say that they will sue rector Ivan Ilchev for slander.

The occupation lasted from January 25 to 28, and when it ended, university authorities – who already had referred the matter to the Prosecutor-General – said that they were considering legal action against the group of protesters, who mounted the occupation in support of their demand for the current Bulgarian Socialist Party government to resign.

The occupation was a sequel to a much longer one, from October 2013 to mid-January, demanding the resignation of the government, fresh national parliamentary elections and reforms to rid Bulgarian public life of organised crime influence. The demands of the second occupation also included Ilchev’s resignation.

The second group of occupiers, said to emanate from a hard-line group who opposed the abandonment of the first occupation, said that they were consulting lawyers about a court action against Ilchev.

Ilchev made a number of comments about the group during the occupation, including that they seemed less intelligent than the first group of occupiers.

The group said that Ilchev had defamed and stigmatised them.

They said that his actions during the first and second occupation “openly served the puppet government”.

“Because of all his actions against young people and the future of Bulgaria, we will seek judicial protection of our good name and dignity,” the group said.

“Our actions before, during and after our occupation are in tune with the demands of thousands of protesters and the huge number of Bulgarian citizens who support the demands of the protest.”

The students appealed for people to assist in finding quotations from public appearances by Ilchev, as well as legal assistance and advice.

 

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The Sofia Globe staff

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