President Iotova: Ognyan Atanasov’s Pardon Was Granted Transparently and on Medical Grounds

The head of state has commented on the issue of the pardon granted to Ognyan Angelov. Iliana Iotova said she personally takes responsibility for every action she takes and every document she signs. This was made clear in information released by the Presidency following an interview with the head of state.

The President said that no decision by the Pardon Commission had been concealed from the Bulgarian public, adding that every pardoned individual is listed on the Presidency’s website in accordance with the law.

Iotova stressed that a pardon is neither rehabilitation nor an amnesty, and added that in many cases decisions are taken on humanitarian grounds following a medical assessment.

The President said the same procedure had been followed in the case of the person pardoned in 2022.

“We formally contacted the Ministry of Justice because that is what the law requires. The Minister of Justice appointed the medical assessment, and we made our decision on the basis of it. Everything is completely transparent,” the President stressed.

She concluded by saying that she had relied entirely on the assessment carried out by the members of the Pardon Commission.

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'We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria' Called on Iotova to Withdraw from the Presidential Race, Accusing Her of Pardoning a Convicted Drug Trafficker

September 13 was marked by political tension over the pardon granted to convicted drug trafficker Ognyan Atanasov and the establishment of the commission that issued an opinion on his case. According to GERB leader Boyko Borissov, the Atanasov case has been known about for a long time, while Nadezhda Yordanova of Democratic Bulgaria denied establishing the commission when she was Minister of Justice.

GERB leader Boyko Borissov also raised the issue of convening the Consultative Council for National Security (CCNS) over the series of explosions at EMKO. He also addressed the controversy surrounding the pardon granted to Ognyan Atanasov, saying the case had been known about for a long time.

Boyko Borissov, GERB chairman: “When Dani Mitov [former Minister of interior] arrested the person in question, we said at the time that he had been pardoned. Why was there no scandal then? Why was he pardoned? We all knew. At the time, Iotova and Radev were friends with them and were filing no-confidence motions to prevent us from joining the eurozone and Schengen.”

Nadezhda Yordanova of Democratic Bulgaria also commented. Following reports in the media that, as Minister of Justice, she had appointed the commission that pardoned Ognyan Atanasov in 2022, Yordanova said:

Nadezhda Yordanova, Democratic Bulgaria MP: “As at 5 December, when the pardon decree was issued, I had not been a minister for more than four months, so that is absurd. It is true that such a commission exists. It is a standing body that assesses the health of prisoners. It is not appointed for a specific case; the decision on whether a person should be pardoned rests entirely and solely with the President.”

We Continue the Change also issued a statement on social media. Asen Vasilev wrote that on 6 February 2025, Iotova pardoned a second drug dealer. He added that the prison hospital was full of sick inmates and said he did not know of all of them being pardoned. He also asked President Iotova why, out of all sick offenders, she had chosen to pardon a drug trafficker and drug dealer. In his words, the attempt to shift the blame to the medical commission was pathetic.

Through the media, GERB leader Boyko Borissov also exchanged remarks with DSB chairman Radan Kanev over the presidential election. Appearing on BNT, Kanev expressed his support for Andrey Gyurov and called on Borissov to do the same.

Radan Kanev, chairman of Democrats for Strong Bulgaria: “We called on all Bulgarian citizens with right-wing, pro-European views to vote for Mr Gyurov. That call also applies to Mr Borissov. The vote is secret, and Mr Borissov can vote either for Gyurov or for Iotova. If he calls me and tells me that he voted for Andrey Gyurov, I will personally thank him.”

Boyko Borissov, GERB chairman: “Fine, I’ll vote for Gyurov – congratulate me now, in advance. But that won’t be enough for you to win; you need to convince people that this is the better ticket. I certainly won’t vote for Iotova. I created GERB to defeat the Bulgarian socilaist Party (BSP).”