At the time of the pardon, the serving of the sentence had already been suspended for 2 years due to the applicant's deteriorating health, the Presidency stated in a written statement to bTV.
It is related to the claims of the leader of “We Continue the Change“ Assen Vassilev that President Iliyana Yotova pardoned a drug dealer - Ognyan Atanasov.
“Iliyana Yotova pardoned a drug dealer - Ognyan Atanasov, known as "Escobar from Petritsk". "A month after his release - he was caught with five kilograms of cocaine," he said in the National Assembly.
Vasilev said that Yotova pardoned the man in 2022 on the grounds of "a health condition that poses a danger to the life of the petitioner and it would be an inhumane treatment for him to remain in prison."
“The life-threatening health condition in question does not prevent the Petrin-born Escobar from continuing his criminal activities as early as early 2023. In 2025, he was caught with 5 kilograms of cocaine,“ he added.
The presidency specified that the decisions are made upon the proposal of the Presidential Pardon Commission, which has also consulted with a seven-member medical commission.
“The decision to pardon is made upon the proposal of the Presidential Pardon Commission, which conducts a thorough examination of the facts and circumstances in connection with each submitted application for pardon and requires opinions from all competent state bodies“, the opinion reads.
“In this specific case, the Pardon Commission has requested and received an expert opinion regarding the person's health condition from the special 7-member medical commission. This special commission makes proposals for pardoning prisoners for health reasons“, the presidency pointed out.
The opinion adds that Atanasov's sentence is from 2019 and is for importing, trafficking and selling drugs in Greece. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, of which he served 5 years. “By the time of the pardon in 2022, the serving of the sentence had already been interrupted for 2 years precisely because of the applicant's deteriorating health“.
“Yes, Bulgaria“ stated that the presidency's response does not provide sufficient clarity as to why this decision was made and who takes responsibility for it. “The description of the procedure leaves the main questions unanswered. Access to the documents and a clear public justification of the decision are necessary“.
The party said that they will request from the presidential institution, the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office and the competent authorities the documents on the basis of which Ognyan Atanasov was pardoned: the pardon application - with the date of submission; the decrees of the General Prosecutor's Office from 2021-2022 - with the dates, the grounds for interrupting the execution of the sentence; the expert medical conclusion from 2022; the protocol and opinion of the Pardon Commission; and the pardon decree - with the exact date and all documents containing the reasons for the decision and the justification for the pardon proposal.
"We will insist on the maximum legally permissible publicity of these documents. For protected medical information, we will request verification by the competent authorities and public disclosure of the conclusions in the permitted volume. Any restriction of access must be specifically justified", commented from “Yes, Bulgaria“.
They add that Iliana Yotova bears personal political responsibility for the decision she signed. “The Pardon Commission is an auxiliary expert and advisory body. Her proposal supports the assessment of the Vice President. The decision requires its own assessment and bears responsibility to society".
According to the party, it must be made clear what the medical prognosis was, what tests it was based on and why it justified the chosen decision. Clarity is also needed as to how the final assessment took into account the severity of the crimes, the behavior of the convict and the available assessments of the risk of new crimes, the position states.
The party shared that the rules of the Pardon Commission provide for the possibility for its chairperson to make statements on already decided applications with the permission of the president or vice president and with the protection of personal data. The presidential institution has the opportunity to give a more substantial public explanation.
"We expect Iliana Yotova to personally explain why she made this decision and to ensure the transparency permitted by law. The exercise of the right to pardon requires public trust. It is defended with clear criteria, verifiable grounds and a willingness to take responsibility for the specific choice," added "Yes, Bulgaria".