Bulgarian Nationalists Probed for New Conflict with French Diplomat

The Regional Prosecutor's Office in Bulgaria's Black Sea city of Varna is probing a fresh conflict stirred by nationalists at the French Cultural Center in the city.

The probe is on information from the latter.

On Tuesday, a crew of "Alfa" TV, which is owned by the ultranationalist party Ataka and its leader, Volen Siderov, has visited the Center and demanded to talk to French Cultural Attach? Stephanie Dumortier.

She has declined which has provoked aggression on the part of the TV crew and caused employees of the Center to call the police.

The Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry has confirmed the incident before media.

In the evening on January 6, Ataka leader Volen Siderov verbally assaulted Dumortier during a Sofia-Varna flight and later physically attacked and hit a passenger and a police officer in a Varna airport shuttle bus. This prompted outrage among majority of Bulgarians and among French diplomats.

As result, Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov asked that ultranationalist be stripped of his MP immunity.

It was reported meanwhile, that Siderov and all his MP have collectively waived their immunity Wednesday morning.