Gergana Petrova, who became part of the news after Prime Minister Rumen Radev's visit to Strumyani, told her version of what happened. She was detained by the police for not having an identity document, Nova TV reports.
The case sparked political reactions and led to checks on the actions of the National Security Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev removed the director of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Blagoevgrad. As a reason, he indicated that the police chief did not report the case in a timely manner, and the actions of the employees on site went beyond what was necessary.
On the day of the Prime Minister's visit, Petrova was a volunteer and participated in the cleaning of one of the most damaged houses in the area.
„At one point, I turned around and saw many people coming from the street and I shouted: „My God, this must be the visit of His Highness“. It became clear to me when I saw you, the journalists,“, she said.
According to her, the delegation visited the house where she had helped. Petrova tried to talk to the people around the Prime Minister and film him. „I shouted: „Here he is, here he is, he came on foot, I will film him, after all, I am the local journalist here“. And from then on, the NSO started pushing me“, Petrova said.
Subsequently, law enforcement officers asked her for her ID twice. She did not present it, because, according to her, she left it in her car so that she would not lose it while participating in the clean-up.
“First there was one, then two. It's a good thing I turned on my camera. I wonder, out of all the others who met him there and filmed him, why they were just picking me up and putting me in the police car. What did I do wrong?“, she said.
Petrova claims that during her arrest she received abrasions and injuries from the handcuffs.
She also explained why she introduced herself as a journalist. According to her, there is a Facebook group for Strumyani, in which she publishes reports from local residents and her own materials about the village and the municipality.
“I don't just take pictures for myself. I will spread this thing and people in Bulgaria will see these pictures, they will see the prime minister“, said Petrova.
She categorically denied that her detention was part of a pre-planned provocation.“How could it be a provocation? I have been here from the beginning, throwing mud at people's houses“, she said.
Petrova was issued a warning protocol for disturbing public order, as well as a report for not carrying an identity document.