PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE REQUESTS VOLEN SIDEROV’S IMMUNITY TO BE LIFTED

The Bulgarian Prosecutor General, Sotir Tsatsarov, filed a request to the Parliament seeking the withdrawal of immunity of Volen Siderov, who is the leader of the nationalist and the fourth largest political party in Parliament, “Ataka”. The Prosecutor’s Office request for the immunity to be lifted came as a result of a scandal Siderov got involved into at Varna Airport. On a flight from the capital city of Sofia to the coastal city of Varna Siderov had an argument and verbally assaulted fellow passengers, including a French diplomat. Later he had a row with a man on the airport shuttle bus. Siderov and other members of Ataka party got involved in a new argument in front of the terminal at Varna Airport. A young man and a policeman were injured during the incident.

The request for withdrawal of Siderov’s immunity will be reviewed at the beginning of the new Parliamentary session in a week. The Prosecutor General sought for permission to initiate criminal investigation against Volen Siderov for hooliganism, resistance to a policeman and causing a light bodily injury.

After the scandal, two protests were organised today in front of the Palace of Justice – one requesting the lifting of Volen Siderov’s immunity and one in his support. At the protest in his support, Siderov stated: “I was just informed that the Prosecutor General requested my immunity to be lifted.” He then pointed at his opponents and added: “These are the people who applaud, the ones pleased with your request, Mr. Prosecutor General – the people who want to sell the Bulgarian interests, who serve foreign interests. Don’t be so happy, you hypocrites! Don’t be so happy, you parrots! Don’t be so happy, you cockroaches and night moths! Because your joy won’t last long, because it will immediately become clear that this immunity was requested under pressure …”

Varna Airport case is the most recent wrangle Siderov got himself into after a previous similar incident on a flight to Germany when he hurled insults at Lufthansa staff.