Ivaylo Mirchev, a Member of Parliament from "Democratic Bulgaria" (DB), has requested that the heads of counterintelligence, the State Agency for National Security (SANS), and the State Intelligence Agency (SIA) be summoned for a hearing in the National Assembly. The request, announced during a briefing in the parliament corridors, was prompted by a "Telegraph" report based on data from Australian intelligence, which claimed that Russian military personnel were trained in the village of Mezhdeni, Gabrovo, by special forces instructors from the United Kingdom and Australia. The MP demands clarification on whether Bulgarian services possess such information, when they last conducted an investigation into the matter, and how it is possible for military personnel to be trained for the war in Ukraine on the territory of the European Union and the Eastern flank of NATO.
During the briefing, Ivaylo Mirchev emphasized that the information is extremely serious, yet the Bulgarian services, including counterintelligence, SANS, and the SIA, have no information on the topic. According to the MP, Australian intelligence operates effectively, unlike the Bulgarian structures, and this is why the attention of politicians and the public must be focused on this case. Mirchev is insisting on full transparency regarding what data is available within the Bulgarian security services.
His colleague from "Democratic Bulgaria," Atanas Atanasov, recalled that last week information was released from a study by the French publication "L'Express." It includes interviews with 60 high-ranking officials from NATO intelligence services, who provided assessments of the trust placed in their Bulgarian partners. Atanasov stated that he expects the Prime Minister to fulfill his stated intentions for "radical changes" in the security sector. He also touched upon the topic of public media, mentioning an interview by Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov regarding the distinction between professionals and propagandists. Atanasov pointed out that a purge is being observed in the media, manifested by the cancellation of the programs "History. BG" and "The World and Us," and demanded clarification on the criteria by which prominent journalists are being removed from the air.
Regarding the appointment of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) members, Bozhidar Bozhanov, Deputy Chairman of the DB parliamentary group, explained that a review of the "Progressive Bulgaria" nominations is currently underway. He highlighted the following points regarding the process:
- Hearings for the candidates are forthcoming, after which a final decision will be made based on their positions.
- As of now, no talks regarding support have been held, and no deals or preliminary agreements have been made.
- The main goal of DB is to elect 11 individuals who possess the highest degree of independence.
Bozhanov added that while some of the names sound positive, others are still being vetted. He categorically stated that the parliament must show the judiciary that the era of "yes-men" who follow political orders over the phone must come to an end.