During his 10-minute daily conversations from the detention center, the detained mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev, gave an interview to the publication POLITICO. In it, he calls on the EU to exert “more political pressure“ on the government, bTV reports.
He says that before his arrest he was warned that there was a political attack against him. According to him, this is related to his party's platform against the mafia in the seaside city.
Kotsev says that he was threatened that he could end up like Turkish mayors - oppositionists of President Recep Erdogan, who were thrown in prison.
„They told me: ''Leave this party, it will be dangerous for you. If you don't, this will happen - look at what happened in Turkey“. The scenario is very similar to what I see outside the EU, but we are a member of the EU“, Kotsev said.
Since his arrest, the Varna mayor has stated that people are scared of Bulgaria's retreat from the rule of law.
„I am very afraid of the fear that I see outside. "People are afraid to speak out against what is happening," he added.
The Sofia Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's decision to keep Kotsev in custody, arguing that he risked influencing the investigation by remaining mayor.
The mayor of Varna, Bulgaria's third-largest city, Blagomir Kotsev, was arrested on July 8 on corruption charges that he denies. His liberal anti-corruption party, "We Continue the Change," insists the high-profile case is politically motivated and shows that the country's judicial system is being weaponized, POLITICO reported.
The arrest sparked nationwide protests and a protest against the influence of organized crime in the country of 6.7 million. Former Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said that Bulgaria is in a “state of dictatorship“, the publication also notes.
Kotsev's appeal to Brussels is to stop EU funds for Bulgaria because of his arrest.
Valerie Ayer, chairwoman of the Renew group, said that Kotsev's detention reveals the “institutional perversion“ of the country.
In his interview with POLITICO, Kotsev said that the EU should put “greater political pressure“ on the Bulgarian government.
The rule of law has long been a problem in Bulgaria. Reform-minded politicians and investigative journalists say the country's judicial system and security are linked to organized crime. The European Commission noted that the perception of the independence of the judiciary in Bulgaria is “very low”, POLITICO points out.
The reformist opposition, including “Continuing the Change”, claims to be under fire for its regional election results and successes in major cities like Sofia and Varna – which “infuriates” the old political order, which has lost lucrative public contracts, the publication also commented.
“If I, as mayor of the country's third-largest city, can be targeted, it can happen to any ordinary citizen. Anyone can be put in prison while they are being investigated. It can take months or even years, and even if you are innocent, you can remain in custody until someone decides to release you”, says Blagomir Kotsev, quoted in the publication.