I did not intimidate the mayor of the "Izgrev" district. This is stated in the position of the Minister of Culture Marian Bachev to NOVA.
Earlier, Bachev stated that he learned from social networks that the mayor of "Izgrev" Delyan Georgiev will conduct an inspection of the activities of the theater workshop "Marian Bachev and Arcadia Fusion Art". "I expect the results of the inspection to be made public," the minister wrote on Facebook.
„If Minister Bachev thinks he will intimidate me through notarial summonses demanding a public apology within three days and phone calls from lawyers who somehow got my personal number, he is very mistaken! I will not apologize for doing my job, and I will continue to do it as I have done so far, no matter who feels offended, bitter, affected and seriously hurt by my actions," the mayor of „Izgrev“ wrote.
Bachev responded to Georgiev's allegations.
„I have no relation to inspections ordered by the mayor of the „Izgrev“ district regarding private or municipal structures. I have not taken any actions that could be interpreted as pressure or "intimidation". If Mr. Georgiev perceives an officially sent notarial summons as a form of pressure, this is his personal interpretation. At the same time, a notarial summons is a legal instrument for protecting one's good name in the event of publicly disseminated false statements," said Marian Bachev.
Regarding the notarial summons to Georgiev, Bachev stated:
„Through my lawyer, I sent a notarial summons to Mr. Georgiev, in which I demand a public apology for the disseminated false and damaging statements to my prestige. This action is entirely within the law and constitutes an exercise of the right to protection against defamation, and not a form of administrative pressure“.
Bachev also responded to the accusations of the Union of Artists in Bulgaria for abuse of power:
“I consider the allegations of the Union of Artists in Bulgaria to be unfounded and inadmissible. As Minister of Culture, I act solely within the framework of my legal powers, in defense of the public interest, transparency and good governance in the cultural sector. Such accusations, when not supported by facts, undermine trust in institutions and divert focus from the real dialogue on the state of Bulgarian culture“.