EditBail for a ‘political prisoner’: Varna mayor’s release spotlights Bulgaria’s rule-of-law crisis
Blagomir Kotsev freed on €100,000 bail after nearly five months in detention, a case that has fuelled domestic fury and concerns at international level
A Bulgarian court has released Varna mayor Blagomir Kotsev on €100,000 bail after he spent almost five months in detention and prison. Kotsev has been labelled a “political prisoner” by the pro-European opposition in the Bulgarian parliament and by the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament.
Kotsev was arrested five months ago on charges of soliciting a bribe, and the case quickly became emblematic of the lack of rule of law in one of the EU’s poorest member states. Evidence rapidly emerged of pressure on witnesses and attempts to remove Kotsev from office.
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In October, Renew Europe initiated a debate in the European Parliament, comparing Kotsev’s “political arrest” to that of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in Turkey.
Despite the international pressure, Kotsev remained in custody until mass protests erupted in Sofia against corruption, abuse of power and excessive public spending. The case was then transferred from the Sofia courts to Varna, where magistrates promptly ruled for his release.
“Nearly five months a man – a citizen of Bulgaria and the EU – has been deprived of one of his constitutional rights, while the country’s third-largest city has been left without its lawfully elected mayor,” defence lawyer Nikolay Vladimirov told the court.
Prosecutors argued that Kotsev should remain in custody on the grounds of a presumption he had committed corruption-related offences. Their statements made clear they were seeking indefinite pre-trial detention, despite Kotsev not being convicted and the substantive proceedings not yet having begun.
Minutes after the ruling, civic activists began raising funds to pay the substantial bail, collecting the full amount in just five hours.
“We welcome today’s decision of the Varna Court to release Blagomir Kotsev on bail — a necessary step for justice and the rule of law. This case again shows how urgently the misuse of pre-trial detention must end,” Renew Europe said in a statement.
“We call for freedom and justice for all political prisoners,” the group added.
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Kotsev: “I believe in the rule of law”
Speaking outside the courtroom, Kotsev said he had done nothing illegal. He added that he was relieved the trial would finally begin so that the truth could emerge and clear his name and that of his family.
“I believe in the rule of law,” he said, noting that his detention measure should be changed because he has responsibilities to the citizens of Varna, to his relatives and to his three young children.
Kotsev insisted he would not give up his responsibilities and expressed confidence that the case was an attempt to remove him from office. He thanked Varna residents for the 14 protests organised in his support.
Witnesses under pressure and political backdrop
Kotsev has been in detention since 8 July, when he was arrested on suspicion of several corruption-related offences. The prosecution claims to have evidence of coercion and of soliciting a bribe.
One witness is a former municipal employee against whom Kotsev had previously filed signals to the prosecution regarding alleged offences linked to EU-funded transport projects.
Another key witness is a local businesswoman who earned tens of millions of euros from public tenders when Varna was governed by GERB, the party dominating the national government in Sofia. Kotsev, by contrast, is supported by the pro-European We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria coalition, the largest opposition force in Bulgaria.
A third witness, a lawyer close to Kotsev’s family, claims his testimony was extracted under threat.
Caption: Still frame from a Facebook video by “We Continue the Change”, showing the moment Blagomir Kotsev leaves the detention facility in Varna.
Updated: November 28, 2025 - 14:41
