Bulgarian President’s Office Denies Withholding Information over the "Escobar from Petrich" Pardon

In response to continuing speculation that the President’s Administration has failed to answer enquiries relating to the pardon granted to Ognyan Atanassov, the press secretariat of the head of state has issued the following statement:

Since 11 September 2026, the President’s Administration has responded to 14 requests under the Access to Public Information Act. The requests were submitted by MPs — five requests — as well as politicians, journalists and public figures.

The questions cover a wide range of issues, concerning both the specific case and the work of the Pardons Commission since 2017. The responses were prepared in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Access to Public Information Act and sent within the statutory deadline. All available information that may be disclosed under national and European legislation was provided.

In this respect, claims that the President’s Administration is concealing information are misleading. It is unacceptable for the presidential institution’s compliance with the law to be turned into a political tool for spreading insinuations.

The insinuations that, during the period from November 2017 to January 2018, the Pardon Commission met with an unlawful composition are also false—the rules of procedure in effect at that time were followed.

The Office of the President conducted a review of all the facts and circumstances surrounding the case of Ognyan Atanasov. It established that all the documents required for the case file were available and that the Pardons Commission had complied with its rules of procedure.

During the consideration of the pardon application, the Pardons Commission requested information about the prisoner from the General Directorate for the Execution of Sentences, part of the Ministry of Justice.

An expert opinion was provided by the medical commission under Article 138 of the Execution of Punishments and Remand in Custody Act. The commission’s conclusions were drawn up after the prisoner appeared before it in person and its members conducted a detailed review of the available medical records.

The commission established that the prisoner suffered from serious medical conditions posing an immediate threat to his health and life. His condition required treatment at a specialised neurosurgical facility, where he could remain under constant medical supervision.

The assessment of his health was also based on the documents collected in the case file. These included seven prosecutorial orders suspending the execution of his sentence, 13 medical expert reports, three decisions by the Territorial Expert Medical Commission (TELK), documents relating to the results of various medical tests, and outpatient records of medical examinations.

The entire case file was submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Bulgaria.

On 19 October 2026, President Iliana Iotova referred the matter to the Prosecutor’s Office, requesting an objective and comprehensive investigation into publicly reported allegations of irregularities in the procedure for granting a pardon to Ognyan Atanassov, including potential corrupt practices, as well as the circumstances surrounding the storage and dissemination of recordings from the surveillance cameras at Sofia Prison.

The head of state expects the investigation to be completed within the statutory deadlines and the competent authorities to announce their findings promptly, the President’s Administration said.

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