Dozens of people protested outside the Palace of Justice in Burgas to support Dimitar Gavazov and Radoslav Revanski, the detained mayors of Sungurlare and Belitsa. Both men are from the DPS party. The protesters are pressing for a fair trial.

The first protest was on 22 October, when Burgas District Court ordered the two held in custody. Residents of both municipalities waited outside the building for the ruling, chanted the mayors' names and shouted "Down with Radev!".

Related: Silent protest in Burgas in support of detained Sungurlare mayor

A tight police cordon guarded the court's staff entrance as the defendants were led out. There were no clashes or arguments.

Gavazov and Revanski are appealing against the custody order at Burgas Court of Appeal, which will decide whether they stay in custody.

The Interior Ministry opened a pre-trial investigation into the contract to build a home for people with disabilities in Sungurlare, it said days ago. It is not clear whether the case is linked to the mayors' arrest.

Prosecutors charge the two with criminal conspiracy to trade in influence over four public contracts for Sungurlare municipality, worth €7m. The prosecution says contractors paid 25% to 35% of the projects' value in cash.