"Partial justice, although it's only for 10 months. I will work to rehabilitate myself from now on – to regain my position as a citizen who has not been convicted, and that I am innocent".
This was stated to the Bulgarian National Radio by Desislava Ivancheva - former mayor of the capital's "Mladost" district, released from prison in Sliven, where she was serving a six-year sentence for accepting a bribe.
From 2022 Every year since then, a request for clemency has been sent to the vice president. Since then, she has been constantly expecting this decision:
"I expected it every year. This silence made me very sad, disappointed, I felt alone, betrayed".
In the program "12+4" Ivancheva told how she found out that this time her request had been granted:
"At 1 p.m., an inspector for social activities and labor education entered my room, along with a commander. They closed the door. It was a little tense, as I thought that there would be some threats again or something to pressure me with. I experienced them every day, so it's not something that stresses me out. They were very serious. I gathered myself and was ready to strike back. They said "Desislava, we're letting you go".
"Friends were waiting for me to quickly take me to my mother and son", she added and told about the meeting with her relatives.
Desislava Ivancheva remembered the arrest: "There was too much pomp and a bit of Hollywood versions. Too much repression, ostentation, abuse of power. Many things were tried to be fixed, but when these things did not happen, there were many loopholes that proved that these set-up things, if you were in a normal court, there would be no way to admit".
She asked questions to the Chief Prosecutor Borislav Sarafov about the lack of substitute persons. Ivancheva admits that when she was taken to the Sports Ministry building, someone got into her car and "intentionally smeared it with the marking substance that the money was also marked with". She reminded that there are no video recordings from the moment of the arrest.
"They tried to frame us so much that they even smeared the steering wheel with this luminous substance, the sunshade. /…/ If we hadn't been framed, for me all these violations shouldn't have happened. What happened to us is clear that it was a framing".
According to Ivancheva, after the arrest, the then Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev told many lies.
Desislava Ivancheva, her deputy Bilyana Petrova and Petko Dyulgerov were indicted for a bribe demanded by the construction entrepreneur Alexander Vaklin. The three were detained during an operation in the center of Sofia on April 17, 2018. At that time, pre-marked euro banknotes were seized from the car in which Ivancheva and Petrova were traveling.
"Our criminal case was initiated based on a report by an employee of the KPKONPI - Anton Slavchev - a report in which it was written that there was a signal of corruption, but when our lawyers demanded to see the signal in question in the courtroom, it turned out that there was no such signal, but only a report about a signal. They immediately blamed the aforementioned Vaklin for this, who testified without supporting it with evidence and there are no SRCs, nor video and audio materials to prove his claim".
For her, the sentences are illegal and she explained why. She also expressed doubts about the judges, who were chosen randomly. In her words, a "convenient judicial panel" has fallen:
"Seconded judges, all of Geshev's subordinates were seconded from the province, thirsty for power".
After all this, Ivancheva indicated what her intentions are from now on:
"I would turn to the Prosecutor General of Bulgaria Sarafov - would he mind opening the case and reviewing things, since if he complies with the legal principle and the method determined by the legislator, he has the right to open it, since there is great doubt about repression against us and our preparation and evidence that we can prove. For me, the case should be opened and reviewed".
She declared that she would do everything possible to raise the issue outside Bulgaria:
"Let's seek help from the European Court and the administrations that oversee the justice system and that have confirmed that we do not have a justice system, and the entire people feel that there is no such system. If the specialized court is illegal, then my interpretation is that our sentences are also illegal".
Desislava Ivancheva also spoke about the threats against her and Bilyana Petrova, as well as the lack of reaction to their signals. Therefore, she intends to seek her rights from the prison administration. She explained about everyday life in the prison in Sliven, about the violence she experienced, as well as about the violations and deficiencies seen from the inside.
"I am innocent", the former mayor of the capital's "Mladost" district is categorical. And she declares that she may return to politics someday, but for now this is not her priority. The most important thing for her now is to spend time with her son.