Balgarianovinite.com Sofia Court of Appeal upheld the detention of five of the seven defendants in the Historical Park case on Thursday.
The court released Nikolay Hitov on BGN 20,000 bail for health reasons and freed Emil Eftimov without any measure, while confirming custody for Anatoli Savov, Plamen Kanchev, Biser Sivkov, Eftim Valchanov and Nikolay Kutsarov on charges of taking part in an organised criminal group for embezzlement, money laundering and fraud.
The ruling is final and cannot be appealed or protested.
Hitov was released on BGN 20,000 bail because of his deteriorating health. Eftimov was also released without any measure, as, in the judge’s words, the evidence collected so far contains very “scarce sources of information” concerning him.
The charge against the group is that from early January 2013 to November 26, 2025, in Sofia, Varna (on the Black Sea) and other parts of the country, they took part in an organized criminal group set up for profit and to commit offences including embezzlement, fraud and money laundering.
After a five-hour hearing, Sofia Court of Appeal delivered its decision, with Judge Alexander Zhelyazkov noting that at this stage of the investigation, witness testimony is sufficient, together with a body of written evidence such as lease contracts, contracts between investors and commercial companies and other documents. He also said he was taking into account the results of search-and-seizure records.
Earlier in the day, supporters of Velichie protested outside the Palace of Justice in Sofia, chanting “Resignation” and “Freedom”.
Velichie is led by Ivelin Mihaylov, who is also the founder of the Historical Park tourist attraction near the village of Neofit Rilski. In December 2024 the Sofia City Prosecution Office opened pre-trial proceedings, conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission, into an alleged organized criminal group formed around Historical Park and suspected of profit-driven offences such as embezzlement, fraud and money laundering between 2013 and 2025. At the request of the supervising prosecutor, the Sofia City Court issued 37 warrants for searches and seizures of homes, cars and other premises, with coordinated operations in Sofia, Varna, Shumen, Pazardzhik and Neofit Rilski and earlier seizures and injunctions affecting assets linked to companies associated with Mihaylov and the park itself. Historical Park Defendants Kept in Custody as Appeal Court Confirms Detention 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-12-04 21:50:58 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law