The pardon of the Petrich "Escobar", for which the PP-DB attacked Iliyana Yotova, actually has a history related to their government. The health expertise was prepared during the "Petkov" cabinet.
A medical commission, the composition of which was determined in July 2022 by orders of the Minister of Justice Nadezhda Yordanova, coordinated with the Minister of Health Asena Serbezova during the government of Kiril Petkov, found that the illness of Ognyan Atanasov - "Petrich Escobar", is serious and poses a risk to his life and health. The expert assessment was prepared at the request of the Presidential Pardon Commission, reports "Voices".
The doctors found a giant aneurysm pressing on the brainstem, and a number of other serious illnesses. The opinion was sent to the Pardon Commission, which is reviewing the file, before then-Vice President Iliana Yotova signed the decree in December 2022.
Here is the entire chronology of the case:
Ognyan Atanasov was sentenced in 2019 to 15 years in prison for importing, trafficking and selling drugs in Greece, committed in 1999-2000. The sentence was handed down by the Court of Appeal in Thessaloniki, after which it was accepted for execution in Bulgaria. According to the website, Atanasov had served five years of his sentence before his pardon.
His medical problems began in 1999, when, after a traffic accident, Atanasov fell into a coma and suffered abdominal and craniocerebral trauma. In the following years, he was hospitalized multiple times due to the consequences of the trauma and the organic changes that occurred.
In 2021, Atanasov suffered an ischemic stroke with ischemia in the brainstem area. A giant aneurysm of the basilar artery, compressing the brainstem, and symptomatic epilepsy were detected.
In October 2021, he was also treated at the Clinic of Clinical Hematology and Medical Oncology of the University Hospital “St. Ivan Rilski“ in Sofia.
In May 2022, Atanasov was urgently admitted to a surgical ward in Petrich due to peritonitis, and in June 2022, his application for pardon was submitted.
The composition of the special medical commission under Art. 138 of the Law on the Execution of Sentences and Detention in Custody was determined by orders of July 2022. The orders for the composition of the commission were issued by the then Minister of Justice Nadezhda Yordanova and were coordinated with the Minister of Health Asena Serbezova. The Prime Minister at that time was Kiril Petkov.
On August 27, 2022, Atanasov was admitted to the Specialized Hospital for Active Treatment of Prisoners in Sofia, where he remained under clinical observation.
After submitting the application for pardon, the Presidential Pardon Commission sent to the Director General of the General Directorate for the Execution of Sentences Ivaylo Yordanov a request for an expert opinion on Atanasov's health, which is the standard procedure for receiving an application.
The Commission reviewed in detail the available medical documentation and Atanasov's general condition and concluded that his illness was serious and posed a risk to his life and health.
According to information from "Voices" At the time of the pardon, the execution of Atanasov's sentence had already been suspended for a period of two years.
According to the Code of Criminal Procedure, the execution of the sentence may be suspended in the event of a serious illness of the convicted person until his recovery. The decision is made by the district prosecutor at the place of serving the sentence, and a proposal may also be made by the head of the prison.
After receiving the medical opinion, the file is reviewed by the Presidential Pardon Commission. It is an auxiliary expert body that reviews applications for pardon and reports them to the Vice President with a reasoned proposal.
On December 5, 2022, then-Vice President Iliana Yotova signed Decree No. 119, by which Atanasov was pardoned for the remaining part of the sentence.
According to the investigative authorities, the beginning of 2023 saw the beginning of the activity of a new drug trafficking group. This is not a judicially established fact at the moment, but a statement by the prosecutor's office in the new case.
On February 18, 2025, approximately 5 kg of narcotics were seized during an operation in Pirinsko. Atanasov was detained along with several other people and the prosecutor's office accuses him of being in connection with an organized criminal group for drug distribution.
There is an important factual detail here that the drugs were found in a black jeep at the "Alpiyska gradina" restaurant in the village of Gradevo, and according to media publications, Atanasov was detained separately, in an establishment in Kresna.
February 20-27, 2025 - the court leaves him in custody. The first instance determines "detention in custody", and on February 27, the Sofia Court of Appeal confirms the measure. The official website of the Court of Appeal lists Ognyan A. as a defendant for participation in an organized crime group for drug distribution.
April 2025 - his health condition again enters the legal dispute. Initially, the Blagoevgrad Court refused to release him after medical experts accepted that his illnesses could be treated even while in custody. Subsequently, on April 25, 2025, the Sofia Court of Appeal changes his measure to house arrest. There is no final verdict in this case yet.
Source: pik.bg