Bulgarian European Prosecutor's Mother Dies in Suspicious Fire 'Incident'

The mother of Bulgarian European Prosecutor Teodora Georgieva died in a house fire in the village of Beglezh, Pleven region, on February 15. Following the incident, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi requested emergency protection for Georgieva, citing concerns for her safety. Authorities are investigating all possible causes of the fire, including arson.

According to the Pleven Regional Directorate of Internal Affairs, the fire alarm was received around 00:50, and firefighters and police teams were immediately dispatched. After extinguishing the flames, charred human remains were found in one of the rooms. The entire roof structure of the house—approximately 120 square meters—had burned down, along with most of the interior. Witnesses have been questioned, video surveillance footage from the village has been reviewed, and pre-trial proceedings have been initiated under the supervision of the district prosecutor’s office. No arrests have been made so far.

The deceased woman, a 76-year-old former nurse, lived alone and reportedly heated her home with wood. A neighbor who called emergency services at 112 reported hearing a loud bang before seeing the house engulfed in flames, making any rescue attempt impossible. The local mayor, Georgi Danov, confirmed that residents had been questioned but had no further details.

A few days after the fire, Kovesi's request for security for Georgieva was granted, albeit with some delay. The European prosecutor has recently made statements highlighting institutional obstacles to investigations in Bulgaria. On February 4, during a legal discussion, she revealed that some witnesses cooperating with European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) investigations had been dismissed from state service. She also criticized the Ministry of Interior for failing to cooperate, citing a case where authorities refused to execute a court order for a search and seizure.

Georgieva also addressed legislative loopholes, such as customs fraud being treated as an administrative violation rather than a criminal offense, which she argued distorts the market and damages tax authorities. She highlighted cases where the same commercial companies consistently win public procurement contracts despite lacking the necessary capacity or experience.

One of Georgieva’s recent cases involved a businessman whose companies supplied motor vehicles to Bulgarian institutions at inflated prices. Another investigation examined the procurement of trolleybuses for Vratsa municipality, which were falsely presented as Polish but were actually from Belarus and sold at double the price. She was also involved in a probe into alleged misuse of EU funds for the repair of the Chiren gas storage facility.

The circumstances surrounding the fire remain unclear, with speculation about whether it was an accident or a deliberate act. The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the exact cause of the blaze.

Sources:

• 24 Chasa
• Club Z
• BTA
• Nova TV