Protest in Support of Detained Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev Held Outside City Hall

A protest in support of Blagomir Kotsev, the detained mayor of Varna, took place today, October 14, in front of the Municipality in Bulgaria's coatsal city of Varna.

For the 12th consecutive time, demonstrators gathered outside the municipal building to demand his release.

Last week, the Sofia Court of Appeal imposed a lighter measure of house arrest on two municipal councillors who were detained on the same charges.

Mayor of Varna Blagomir Kotsev Remains in Custody

On 10 October, Kotsev’s defence filed a motion to review his remand, but the Sofia City Court once again ruled to keep the Varna mayor in custody.

According to protesters, Kotsev’s detention represents a distortion of the will of the citizens of Varna.

The protest march will continue to Independence Square, ending in front of the Palace of Justice, where demonstrators will once again call for fairness and justice.

photo by BGNES

Blagomir Kotsev’s detention order is expected to be appealed on 16 October before the Sofia Court of Appeal.

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Varna Mayor, Blagomir Kotsev, was detained after a police raid on the city’s municipality and his private home, which led to his 24-hour detention on Tuesday night, JUly 8.

Kotsev took office in 2023 as a reformist candidate for the opposition "We Continue the Change" party on the promise of improving the prospects for Varna, Bulgaria’s third biggest city and the biggest on the Black Sea coast.