The resignation of Borislav Sarafov as acting Prosecutor General formally closes a long and painful page in the Bulgarian judicial system. Accepted without debate and almost procedurally, it looks like an attempt to quickly “close the topic“. But the truth is that the topic is just beginning. Because this case was never just about one person.
The scandal surrounding the “Eight Dwarfs“ network and the figure of Petyo Petrov opened a much deeper question – about dependencies, about influence and about who actually runs the prosecution behind the scenes. And this is exactly where the uncomfortable question comes in, which Sarafov's resignation cannot silence: what is happening to Emilia Rusinova?
The data that has emerged in recent weeks are not just rumors. There is official information about Rusinova's repeated trips abroad together with Petyo Evroto, including in the same car. These are not minor details - these are facts that cast doubt not just on personal contacts, but on the entire institutional integrity.
Even more worrying is that these connections have not been seriously investigated, and in some cases have even been ignored in personnel decisions. When a person with such doubts heads the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office - an institution with a key role in criminal justice - the problem is no longer personal, but systemic. And here the paradox becomes painfully obvious.
On the one hand, society sees a resignation at the top - a sign that pressure is working. On the other - this same society observes how other figures involved in the same context remain in their positions, on leave or in institutional silence. This is not reform. This is selective responsibility.
The protests in front of the Courthouse did not coincidentally bring together the names of Sarafov and Rusinova. Because according to citizens, the problem is not “one person”, but a model – a model in which the prosecutor's office looks like a closed system, self-checking and self-protecting. And when an institution checks itself, the result is almost always predictable – no result.
Sarafov's resignation could be a start. But only if it is followed by real actions – checks, disciplinary procedures and clear answers. Otherwise, it will remain just a tactical move – sacrificing a figure in order to preserve the system.
And the most important question remains: if the standard is the same for Sarafov, will it be the same for Rusinova?
Because trust in justice is not restored with one resignation. It is restored with equal rules. And with responsibility – for everyone.