Five more Bulgarians included in the US’s Magnitsky Sanctions List

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These are Rumen Stoyanov Ovcharov (former energy minister), Vladislav Ivanov Goranov (former finance minister), Nikolai Simeonov Malinov (leader of the Russophiles movement), Alexander Hristov Nikolov and Ivan Kirov Genov (both former directors of the Kozloduy NPP).

Yesterday, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on five current or former officials from Bulgaria – Rumen Ovcharov, Aleksandar Hristov Nikolov, Ivan Genov, Nikolay Malinov and Vladislav Goranov – for their extensive involvement in a corruption scheme activity in Bulgaria, it is stated in a press release of the Public Relations Department of the US Treasury Department.

OFAC also imposed a measure on four legal entities owned or controlled by Malinov, as well as a company owned or controlled by Goranov. The measures against these individuals and entities are imposed on the basis of Executive Order 13818, which builds on and implements the Magnitsky Global Law on Accountability for Violations of Human Rights and under which those involved in serious human rights abuses and corruption worldwide fall.

"The United States is supporting its NATO ally, Bulgaria, in combating both deep-rooted corruption and Russian influence undermining democratic institutions," said Brian E. Nelson, the Treasury Department's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

"The actions highlighted today span different political parties and governments, which shows the urgent need to dismantle the networks that for years have reproduced illegal activities, especially in the energy sector. Corruption is robbing the Bulgarian people of hundreds of millions of dollars and hindering investment and economic growthof the country".

Today's measure is a continuation of OFAC's previous sanctions against Delyan Peevski, Vasil Bozhkov, Ilko Zhelyazkov and their related companies. Consolidating these measures, the UK yesterday also imposed sanctions on Peevski, Bozhkov and Zhelyazkov under the UK's Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regime. These actions demonstrate the continued commitment of the Government of

The USA is for a multilateral partnership and for seeking responsibility from those who participate in corrupt activities and are responsible for the spread of corruption in Bulgaria.

In addition, the State Department imposes visa restrictions on Rumen Ovcharov, Alexander Nikolov, Vladislav Goranov and their family members under Art. 7031 of the annual Appropriations Act of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. According to Art. 7031, b. (c) in cases where the Secretary of State has credible information that foreign officials have engaged in a significant form of corruption or a large-scale violation of human rights, those persons and their family members may not be admitted to the United States.

“The individuals sanctioned yesterday have held government posts for many years, under several governments and with different political affiliations. The diversity of their biographies and their long-standing prominence in Bulgarian politics illustrate the extent to which corruption is deeply rooted in ministries, parties and state branches, and show the extreme need for political will to implement rule of law reform and fight corruption,” also indicating the US Treasury Department.

Rumen Ovcharov is a former Bulgarian member of parliament, and is currently a member of the National Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). Ovcharov was also minister responsible for energy in the late 1990s and again in the mid-2000s.

Alexander Nikolov is the former CEO and Deputy Director of the Kozloduy NPP - the only nuclear power plant in Bulgaria, owned by the state through the Bulgarian Energy Holding, where he worked in various capacities for 30 years.

Ivan Genov is also the former CEO of Kozloduy NPP, who was a Bulgarian MP from BSP from 2017 to 2019.

Nikolay Simeonov Malinov is a former member of parliament from BSP, and now heads the pro-Russian non-governmental organization National Movement Russophiles. He is the founder and chairman of the political party "Russophiles for the Revival of the Fatherland", which works for stronger ties with Russia and is a political continuation of the National Movement "Russophiles".

Vladislav Ivanov Goranov is a former Member of Parliament and Minister of Finance in the second and third governments led by the political party "Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria" (GERB), in the period from November 2014 to January 2017 and again from May 2017 to July 2020, Goranov also had ties to OFAC-sanctioned Bulgarian oligarch and former MP Delyan Peevski. Goranov used his position as Minister of Finance to support the bribery of Bulgarian government officials and deprived the Bulgarian state of tax revenues for the benefit of Bulgarian oligarchs.

According to an official statement by the US Department of State, the United States, in joint coordination with the United Kingdom, is taking action to counter systemic corruption in Bulgaria by imposing sanctions on five former officials and five entities from Bulgaria for corrupt practices that led to illegal personal benefits, undermining the country's democratic institutions and strengthening its harmful dependence on Russian energy sources.

The US State Department has also sanctioned:

- "Inter Trade 2021" EOOD, "MS Consult 2016" EOOD, National Movement "Russophiles" and Russophiles for the Revival of the Fatherland have been sanctioned for being owned or controlled by Malinov.

· Trilema Consulting EOOD has been sanctioned for being owned or controlled by Goranov.

In addition, the State Department imposed visa restrictions on Ovcharov, Nikolov and Goranov for participating in significant corruption pursuant to Art. 7031, b. "c" of the annual Appropriations Act of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. As a result of this measure, the named persons and their family members are not allowed to enter the territory of the United States.

The US State Department also states that the United Kingdom, based on the British Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regime, has also imposed sanctions in relation to serious forms of corruption and misuse of public funds against three corrupt figures in Bulgaria:

   - Vasil Krumov Bozhkov, a famous Bulgarian businessman and oligarch;

   - Delyan Slavchev Peevski, oligarch and former MP;

   - Ilko Dimitrov Zhelyazkov, former deputy chairman of the Bulgarian State Agency "Technical Operations".

This measure reinforces previous US sanctions against these individuals under the Global Magnitsky Act sanctions program and the official State Department measure against Peevski and Zhelyazkov under Art. 7031, b. "c" imposed in June 2021.

These coordinated actions are in support of the US Anti-Corruption Strategy and are indicative of US and UK commitment to promoting corruption accountability and assisting our NATO ally, Bulgaria, to implement urgent reforms in the area of the rule of law.

The corruption committed by the persons sanctioned today is a reflection of a systemic model for personal enrichment at the expense of the Bulgarian people, state and democratic institutions. The United States and the United Kingdom stand in unwavering solidarity with those in Bulgaria who seek to fight corruption and strengthen the rule of law, the official statement of the US State Department also states.

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