The acting Minister of Justice Andrey Yankulov categorically rejected the possibility of Borislav Sarafov being forcibly removed from his office in the Court House. Sarafov continues to hold the post of acting Prosecutor General, although according to the Law on the Judiciary and the practice of the Supreme Court of Cassation, his term expired in the summer of last year.
In response to the growing public pressure and calls for a direct physical blockade of the prosecutor's office, Yankulov warned that the use of state repression would only legitimize the status quo.
In his position on social networks, the Minister of Justice explained that a possible forceful action would be an admission of the failure of the rule of law.
"The fight is not for the chair, but for the law. This is the short answer to the question: Will you forcefully remove Borislav Sarafov from his office in the Courthouse?", Yankulov wrote.
According to him, the abusive use of force is inherent precisely to those models of governance that society is currently fighting against. The minister is categorical that Sarafov does not deserve to be given the role of victim, because both he himself and the circles behind him will cleverly take advantage of such a status to solidify their positions.
The thesis was confirmed by Yankulov on national air earlier today, where he added that the crisis cannot be resolved with police cordons.
While Sarafov continues to tour prosecutors' offices in the country and send press releases for international forums, tension among the civil sector is escalating. The leader of the BOETS movement, Georgi Georgiev, entered into a direct absentee dispute with the minister.
"BOETS does not accept this thesis. The only way to fight lawlessness is to apply the law, and to everyone equally", replied Georgi Georgiev. He confirmed the organization's intention to continue with attempts to physically block Sarafov's access to his workplace.
The crisis at the top of the prosecutor's office deepened dramatically after the Prosecutor's College of the Supreme Judicial Council practically created a precedent for a perpetual mandate. Sarafov took up the position temporarily in June 2023 after the dismissal of Ivan Geshev. According to the adopted amendments to the Law on the Judiciary, no one can temporarily perform this function for more than 6 months – term, which expired on July 21, 2025.
Despite the clear texts, Themis personnel officers accepted that the law does not apply to the current acting prosecutor general. A few days ago, the Prosecutor's College refused to even consider Andrey Yankulov's request to elect a new head. In an attempt to restore legality, the Minister of Justice is already attacking this refusal before the Supreme Administrative Court, but until the final ruling of the magistrates, the institutional paralysis remains complete.
"So far, I have what appear to be successful attempts to maintain an illegal and immoral result with seemingly legal means. However, all of this is deceptive," Yankulov is categorical, adding that the price for clinging to one person's chair is increasing with each passing day.