Last night, thousands of people gathered in front of the Palace of Justice in Sofia to protest, demanding an independent judiciary and expressing support for Blagomir Kotsev, the mayor of Varna who was arrested recently. Organised by 'Justice for All', the demonstration took place under the slogan: 'Take the bludgeons away from thugs in power'.

The protesters marched to the National Assembly building and held up posters bearing slogans such as 'Bulgaria is a European country, the end of the mafia is near', 'Law is not a bludgeon', 'Stop covering up the guilty and punishing the inconvenient', and '#Varna for Blago', as reported by BTA. "The latest investigations against mayors and deputy mayors show selective justice and links between the prosecution and the oligarchy," said the organisers.

'The law has an owner, and his name is Delian Peevski — Boyko Borisov's partner. Instead of serving the public and allowing it to function properly, institutions are being used by a few thugs," said Ivaylo Mirchev, co-chair of Democratic Bulgaria, addressing the protesters.

In Varna, citizens gathered in front of the municipal building for a third consecutive protest to express their support for their mayor. Demonstrations were also held in other major cities.

Earlier, Dian Ivanov, the former deputy mayor of Varna and main witness against Blagomir Kotsev, withdrew his testimony. 'Today, I filed a statement with the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office stating that my testimony in pre-trial proceedings 220/24 is false, as it was given under pressure from employees of the Anti-Corruption Commission in Sofia. We will see what happens to me,' he wrote on Facebook.

Editor: Diana Tsankova

Posted in English by E. Radkova

Photos: Facebook /  People of Sofia, BTA, Varna Municipality