Bulgarian prosecutors hold national meeting amid protests

Bulgarian prosecutors and investigators are holding a national meeting on August 24. The topic is “Upholding the independence of the judicial system”.

Among those invited were lawmakers, ministers, diplomats and President Rumen Radev, despite his criticism towards the Chief Prosecutor over the last month. The meeting comes amid a second month of protests against corruption, the government and the Chief Prosecutor.

A rally outside the venue of the national conference (Boyana residence) was held, greeting the magistrates with demands for the resignation of Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev.

The meeting was organized in connection with a declaration of the Prosecutors’ College of the Supreme Judicial Council. In it, the magistrates declared themselves against the encroachment on the independence of the judiciary and their reputation.

The national meeting of the prosecutors adopted a position, pointing out that their independence is a right and obligation and called for respect for the division of powers.

Formally, the meeting was provoked by a statement from the Prosecutors’ College of the Supreme Judicial Council, which condemned both the demands for the resignation of the Chief Prosecutor and the statements that the Prosecutor's office is a mafia.

The prosecutors have shown that they are strongly against the idea of ​​separating the Prosecutors’ office from the judiciary. They also opposed proposals to transfer the state prosecution to the Executive branch of the power, as well as the idea of ​​limiting the powers of the prosecutors.

This is the fourth National Meeting in the last 30 years and the first to discuss the independence of the state public Prosecutor’s office.

The Chief Prosecutor said that the attempts for subordination of the Prosecutor’s office has already reached a red line and this red line should not be crossed.

At the beginning of the meeting, the spokesperson of the Chief Prosecutor, Siika Mileva, announced that more than once in its decisions the European Court of Human Rights has emphasized that the Prosecutor's Office should be independent and prosecutors should make their decisions without risk of external pressure, especially political.

In his opening remarks, Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev said they have come under fire by those who don't want light in the darkness. "We are accused of being mafia because we have brought light into the darkness: with deeds and not with words, as the Apostle of Freedom, Vassil Levski taught us," he said.

We are accused of being mafia because we have shown that we will not allow double standards, i.e..we will not allow one standard for wealthy people with billions, with political and media influence and other standard for other Bulgarians, as it was this way for decades, he said.

The Chief Prosecutor once again reminded that the Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Interior have managed to deal with telephone fraud, and thefts and robberies have dropped by more than 20% in recent months.

We solved the problem of telephone fraud, the incidence of thefts and robberies has fallen for the first 5 months of this year by over 20%. We do everything possible for people to live without fear that their life savings will be robbed or they will be raped, killed or set on fire in their homes.

According to Ivan Geshev, the attacks against the Prosecutor's office come from those whose interests are affected.

Cases have been prosecuted in the courts. Some of the most influential and rich people are hiding outside Bulgaria. They thought that the law did not apply to them, but only applied to the less wealthy. That is why we are bad for the bad, Geshev said. This means only one thing - that we are good for the Bulgarian citizens and society, for those who pay our salaries and that is the only important thing. It means we are doing a good job and we have frightened those who do not want the law to be the same for everyone and not to apply to people with money, opportunities and influence, he added.

I am proud that my entire professional career has been as an investigator and prosecutor in the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Bulgaria. It is an honour for me to be part of you, an honour for me to be your Chief Prosecutor and Chief Prosecutor of the Republic of Bulgaria, Ivan Geshev noted.

He said that slogans for the protection of democracy are a screen that hides attempts to destroy the Prosecutor’s office..

We are all here, because a red line has been reached: the rule of law is under threat, and so is the independence of the Bulgarian prosecution service, he went on to say.

Justice Minister Danail Kirilov said he shared the concerns of the prosecutors.

I believe that the Prosecutor's office is being attacked politically, which should not happen in a country where it is claimed that there is rule of law and that it is a state governed by the rule of law, said Justice Minister Danail Kirilov.

The prosecutors have adopted a position stating that calls for "re-selection" of Bulgarian prosecutors have crossed the dividing line beyond which it is impossible to speak o independence of the prosecution.

Deputy Prime Minister for Justice Reform and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva sent a written position to participants in the meeting. According to her, the establishment of the rule of law is a common mission of the entire Bulgarian society and guaranteeing the independence of the prosecution service is of paramount importance.

Zaharieva also stressed that the prosecution service must be independent, on the one hand, within the judiciary and, on the other hand, in a comprehensive institutional plan, in order to effectively ensure the separation of powers.

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