BULGARIA’S PARLIAMENT LIFTS THE IMMUNITY OF MPs SIDEROV AND CHUKOLOV

Bulgaria’s Parliament voted on 5th of November to lift the immunity of the MPs from the nationalist “Ataka” party, Volen Siderov and Dessislav Chukolov.

The decision to remove Siderov’s immunity from prosecution was adopted with 144 MPs voting "for", 11 (Ataka MPs) “against” and one, from the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) abstained.

The decision to remove Chukolov’s immunity from prosecution was adopted with 148 MPs voting “for” and 11 MPs voting “against”.

On 12th of October, Bulgaria’s Prosecutor General, Sotir Tsatsarov, requested from Parliament, to give permission for initiation of penal proceedings against the two MPs on charges of hooliganism.

On 10th of October, Volen Siderov and Desislav Chukulov got involved in a late-night confrontation with shop assistants and the owner of a non-stop alcohol and tobacco shop in the centre of the capital city Sofia.

The ad hoc inquiry committee established by Bulgaria’s Parliament to deal with the requests by the Prosecutor General also voted “yes” on 3rd of November, in support of the requests.