Thousands of Bulgarians protest: ‘Out with Sarafov, Peevski’s cudgel’
Sweltering temperatures did not deter several thousand Bulgarians from turning out in capital city Sofia on the evening of July 22 to protest against Borislav Sarafov – a figure that protest organisers say is controlled by Magnitsky Act-sanctioned Delyan Peevski – holding on to office as acting Prosecutor-General.
As The Sofia Globe reported, in January 2025, the National Assembly approved amendments to the Judiciary Act, placing term limits on acting holders of some top judiciary posts, including that of Prosecutor-General.
Sarafov’s term acting in the post expired on July 21, but the Supreme Judicial Council prosecutors college decided earlier in July to keep him in place, arguing that Parliament did not explicitly give retroactive effect to the text and therefore there is no reason to elect one of his deputies as head prosecutor. Numerous lawyers have rejected this interpretation as wrong.
The July 22 protest, organised by the Justice for All civic initiative, is also one of a series where attendance is boosted by indignation at what participants see as the Prosecutor’s Office and the anti-corruption commission being used as a cudgels against the opposition – in particular We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria – to the ruling majority.
The protest – titled “Out with Sarafov, Peevski’s cudgel” – began at 7pm outside the Palace of Justice, where the throng braved a temperature of 36° Celsius as speakers condemned Sarafov, Peevski and GERB-UDF leader Boiko Borissov.
Lawyer Velislav Velichkov of Justice for All said that as of today, Sarafov was no long acting Prosecutor-General, but just an ordinary individual.
“This is just a signal. If we do not get a legitimate judiciary, the protest will turn into resistance,” Velichkov told reporters.
He said that a joint protest headquarters will be created to coordinate the next protests and unite all protesters against “this legal service”.
After the protest procession reached the old Parliament building, Democratic Bulgaria co-leader Ivailo Mirchev called on the participants not to show hearts, but to show fists to demonstrate resistance to Peevski.
At a previous protest, organised by WCC-DB, participants showed a heart gesture in solidarity with Varna mayor Blagomir Kotsev, who faces organised crime charges which WCC-DB says are part of a campaign of state institutions being used against it. At the Parliament building, there were addresses by several WCC-DB figures, including former Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov.
A reference to Quis custodiet ipsos custodes – who guards the guardians?
‘This is not Piglandia’ – a reference to Peevski.
Before the procession went on its way to Orlov Most (Eagle Bridge), Velichkov said that there is no such thing as “a little freedom, a little democracy. When that is the case, they can come for each of us!”
When the procession reached Orlov Most, chants of “Boiko the pig, Peevski’s servant” began. The crowd, still numbering thousands, blocked the intersection.
(Photos: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
