Man arrested after candidate MP assaulted in central Sofia
Emil Jassim, a candidate MP for former justice minister Hristo Ivanov’s Yes Bulgaria coalition, was assaulted in central Sofia on March 23, a few days ahead of the parliamentary election.
The assailant first threatened and physically assaulted Jassim, who fled down the street. After he encountered a police patrol, his assailant was arrested and placed in 24-hour custody, the party said in a media statement.
“We expect the police and prosecutors do their job within the deadlines specified in the law.
Yes, Bulgaria considers aggression in any form completely unacceptable,” the party said. Hate speech was a serious public concern and the party condemned its use in the election campaign, the statement said.
Local media reported that the Sofia police directorate of the Interior Ministry confirmed that a 23-year-old man was in custody after being arrested for assault. Pre-trial proceedings had been initiated.
Jassim said in a Facebook post that he had managed to take footage with his phone during the attack on him. His injuries had been recorded for medical evidence, he said.
