Pretrial Proceedings Launched over Bulgaria Nationalist Party Brawl

The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office is launching pretrial proceedings into the events of Friday evening when a brawl broke out between nationalist party leader Volen Siderov and MPs from his Ataka party.

Initial reports suggested Siderov and MP Desislav Chukolov had only entered into a verbal clash with the owner of a tobacco and alcohol shop in downtown Sofia which in his words sold "drugs and smuggled cigarettes to young people."

But police later suggested Siderov had hit the owner.

The pretrial proceedings are directed at "an unknown perpetrator" because of Siderov's immunity as a lawmaker.

Siderov was shown on footage aired by private national NOVA TV station saying he had gone to the shop due to information about illegal goods being sold there.

An economic police inspection did not confirm the findings, police say.

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