The Sofia Court of Appeals (SCA) remanded five of the seven defendants in the "Historical Park" case in custody. Anatoli Savov, Nikolay Hitov, Plamen Kanchev, Biser Sivkov, Zhivko Valchanov, Emil Eftimov and Nikolay Kutsarov are accused of participating in a criminal group for embezzlement, money laundering and fraud.
The ruling is final and not subject to appeal or protest, BTA specified.
The court remanded Anatoli Savov, Plamen Kanchev, Biser Sivkov, Zhivko Valchanov and Nikolay Kutsarov in custody. Nikolay Hitov was released on bail of 20,000 leva due to his deteriorating health. He has a severe form of diabetes, having developed a diabetic foot and a large non-healing wound on his leg. Judge Alexander Zhelyazkov explained that although Hitov is among the leading figures in the group of defendants, due to "humanitarian considerations", he is on bail. Emil Eftimov was also released without any measure, since, according to the judge, according to the evidence collected so far, there are very "scarce sources of information". He is the son of one of the defendants, participating in a commercial company together with his father.
The accusation against them is that from the beginning of January 2013 to November 26, 2025, on the territory of Sofia, Varna and other parts of the country they participated in an organized criminal group, created for selfish purposes and with the aim of committing crimes – embezzlement, fraud and money laundering.
After a five-hour session, the CAS announced its decision, with Judge Alexander Zhelyazkov indicating that at this stage of the investigation, witness testimonies are sufficient, as well as a set of written evidence, such as rental contracts, orders between investors and commercial companies, and others. He also indicated that he also takes into account the results of the search and seizure protocols.
Judge Zhelyazkov noted that in order for an organized criminal group (OCG) to exist, there must be durability, organization and structure. In addition, the participants in the group must have at least three who have joined forces. According to him, there are permanently established contacts and ties between the seven defendants. There are also witnesses with direct impressions, and it is established that the defendants are part of a "broad community, based on long-standing acquaintance, market and economic interests," he said. "Their acquaintance is permanent and there is a connection between them", the judge added.
Earlier today, the prosecution requested from the Court of Appeal the most severe measure of non-detention "detention in custody" of all seven defendants in the "Historical Park" case. The reason was that it was established that the individuals are part of an organized criminal group (OCG) and if they are at large, there is a real danger that they will influence the investigation.
„A year has passed since the Temporary Committee against Historical Park in the previous parliament. If someone had claims about poorly done work by the court and the prosecution, they had a whole year to do so", Krasimira Katincharova from „Velichy“ told journalists. In her words, this is a “political case“.
This morning, “Majesty“ supporters protested in front of the Courthouse in Sofia with shouts of “Resignation“ and “Freedom“. Later, they entered the building of the courthouse, where they surrounded vlogger Lyubomir Zhechev, who was also waiting to follow the hearing on the measures taken by the accused. A year ago, he conducted an investigation into the Historical Park and featured it on his platform. “Majesty“ supporters demanded an explanation for the material he created and described him as a person “with a black soul“. Before the accused entered the courtroom, “Majesty“ supporters and their relatives greeted them with applause and shouts of “We are proud of you“.