The co-chairman of “Continue the Change” Kiril Petkov is already a defendant in a case for exceeding his powers in his capacity as Prime Minister. Before entering the prosecutor's office, he was hugged by a man who told him that “everything is settled”. Later, Petkov explained the situation, giving more information about who the man was. According to him, he did not understand what exactly he was telling him.
Petkov was charged with a crime in office for having exceeded his authority, ordering, without having these powers, the arrest of Boyko Borisov, Vladislav Goranov and Sevdelina Arnaudova in 2022. He said that he had not committed a crime and accused the prosecutor's office of being biased.
In front of the prosecutor's office, as a sign of support, PP-DB supporters came. A video of the protest on Facebook broadcast of “We Continue the Change” raised many questions. In it, the politician's karate coach Yavor Dyankov tells him: “Everything is arranged, don't worry”, before Petkov himself entered the prosecutor's office.
Before they charged him, Petkov suspected that the case against him was a political attack. “Sarafov is one of the tools of the machine, but this machine does not stop with him. Peevski is the person who is currently leading this action”, he said.
Both sympathizers and PP-DB deputies came to support him in front of the prosecutor's office.
”The prosecutor's office must investigate objectively and in a timely manner, and not, as in this case - three years later, come up with entirely political motives”, explained Bozhidar Bozhanov.
”I am primarily protesting against the prosecutorial and judicial mafia in Bulgaria”, said Iliya Mitev, who came to the demonstration.
After nearly an hour, the former prime minister came forward with an accusation of a crime in his official capacity. He was released with the lightest measure of detention – “submission”. “I said what I'm telling you: “I have not committed any crime. Period”, Petkov emphasized.
”He was charged with two crimes committed in his official capacity”, explained the supervising prosecutor at the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office, Angel Kanev.
According to the indictment, in 2022, as Prime Minister, Petkov ordered police officers to arrest Boyko Borisov, Vladislav Goranov and Sevdelina Arnaudova without either he or the Ministry of Interior having this right.
”The then leaders of the GDNP were questioned, as well as all participating leaders at a lower operational level and direct participants in these actions. There are NSO employees being questioned, including the head of the service,” Kanev also said.
The prosecutor also responded to the accusations that they are acting under political dictation. “At no time was our leading argument whether someone is in a party or not. Whether elections are coming or not,” he explained.
Shortly after the “We Continue the Change” protest ended, a clip from the party’s live broadcast appeared on various sites, which currently does not exist on the “We Continue the Change” Facebook page.
„Let me just tell you in two words - everything is settled, you won’t have to worry, it’s been talked about. "Keep your head up, we caught things with your father, you know," Dyankov can be heard saying to Petkov.
According to the co-chairman of the PP, the man in the clip is his karate coach Yavor Dyankov. "I have absolutely no idea what he said to me at that moment. The only thing I know is that even when we were children, he always tried to heroize us. I told everyone: "I count on you, thank you," Petkov specified. When asked if this man had connections in the judicial system, he replied: "No, he doesn't have any connections. This man was my sensei when I was 5 years old."
NOVA also reached out to Dyankov, but he did not return our calls.