Bulgaria's Judges Strike back against Interior Minister

Lazar Gruev (middle), head of Bulgaria's Supreme Court of Cassation slammed Thursday Interior Minister Tsvetanov for his criticism of court verdicts, which flared up the conflict between the Interior and the judiciary. Photo by BGNES

The Union of Judges in Bulgaria has sent an open letter to PM Boyko Borisov complaining of Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

The letter comes as the relations between the Interior Ministry and the judiciary are becoming increasingly tense after Tsvetanov has criticized recently several court rulings allowing the release on bail of suspects detained by the police in much advertised special operations.

In their letter to the Prime Minister, the Bulgarian judges are calling for “real actions” to expose corruption in the judicial system of the country.

The Union of Judges in Bulgaria states its expectation that Borisov made before the Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) on February to do his best to avoid inter-institutional conflict, and to turn into a guarantor of mutual respect between state institutions.

“The numerous media statements of Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, in which he continues to underestimate the correctness of a number of court rulings have not demonstrated any changes in the trends for undermining the authority of the Bulgarian courts,” the open letter of the judges reads.

According to the Union, it is immoral on part of members of the government to put the judges in a dilemma of whether to issue a verdict that is politically and publicly popular, or whether to comply with the legal requirements.

The judges further warn that they are going to alert the EU institutions and international judge’s organizations, and are going to ask the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Consultative Council of European Judges, and the International Association of Judges to probe the independence of the judicial system in Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian judges vow to provide all of their international partners with specific evidence in that area from the media appearances of representatives of the executive branch.

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