Protest in front of Varna Municipality Over the Detention of Mayor Balgomir Kotsev

Residents of the coastal city of Varna on September 24 once again took to the streets in support of the city’s mayor, Blagomir Kotsev, who has been in custody for two and a half months on corruption charges.

Their protest was sparked by a decision from the Sofia Court of Appeal, which refused to ease the mayor’s pre-trial detention. In a letter from custody, published today on Kotsev’s Facebook page, he stated that he will not betray the people of Varna and will not voluntarily relinquish his post.

“I will not betray the people of Varna, just as I did not betray them under pressure to pose for a photo beneath the coat of arms in a parliamentary office. That pressure existed, but I will speak about it another time,” wrote Blagomir Kotsev.

According to the protesters, the mayor’s detention is an attempt to overturn their vote. Demonstrators blocked several central intersections, and the march concluded in front of the Court House in Varna.