The dramatic events surrounding the arrest of Varna's mayor Blagomir Kotsev have caused a wide public response and a series of protest actions in various Bulgarian cities. Kiril Petkov, a former co-chair of the political formation "We Continue the Change", undertook a personal visit to the investigation arrest to demonstrate support for the detained political figure.
During the visit, Petkov handed over a symbolic gift – a photo containing 10,000 hearts collected from the previous day's protest. According to his words, Blagomir Kotsev maintains an extremely positive spirit and inner resilience despite the difficult situation.
The political leader emphasized Kotsev's exceptional commitment to urban problems, defining Varna as his personal cause, and Bulgaria as the focal point of his love. Petkov categorically stated that the current arrest will actually contribute to building a stronger and more determined municipal leader.
Protest actions organized in Sofia, Varna, and Dobrich demonstrated massive support for the Varna mayor. The demonstrators described the court decision to detain him as politically motivated and contrary to legal norms.
The official charge against Blagomir Kotsev and two municipal councilors – Nikolay Stefanov and Yordan Kateliev – is participation in an organized criminal group. A new protest in their defense is already planned for Tuesday.
The political reaction from various circles is diverse. While Petkov demonstrates full support, other political figures like Atanas Atanasov take a more critical position towards the events.
Kiril Petkov's key message is that such attempts at political pressure cannot break the spirit of free-thinking citizens. He emphasized that "thugs do not thrive where freedom prevails".
The case continues to provoke wide public interest and discussions regarding the independence of the judicial system and political processes in Bulgaria.