Balgarianovinite.com The Varna Appellate Court has made a final decision to terminate the proceedings against Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, municipal councillors Yordan Kateliev and Nikolay Stefanov, businessman Ivaylo Marinov, and the former head of the mayor’s office, Antoaneta Petrova, and send the case back to the Sofia City Prosecution Office, the court’s press service said.
The appeal proceedings were initiated following a protest by the prosecutor against a ruling by the Varna District Court. The prosecutor had sought to have the ruling overturned and the judicial proceedings continued.
After reviewing the case file in a closed session, the Appellate Court found the prosecutor’s protest unfounded for the following reasons. The factual section of an indictment must set out the facts that establish that the act constitutes an offence and the defendant’s involvement in it. It must specify the time, place and manner in which the offence was committed, as well as the factual circumstances relevant to the elements of the offence, the court’s press service said.
The court’s ruling is final.
Kotsev was arrested on July 8, 2025, following which the case was transferred to the Sofia City Prosecution Office (SCPO). On November 13, the SCPO filed an indictment with the Sofia City Court. On November 19, the Supreme Court of Cassation ruled that the case should be heard by the Varna District Court rather than the Sofia City Court. The case file consists of 70 volumes. Two witnesses have been granted anonymity.
The proceedings were suspended in March 2026 because the two municipal councillors who were defendants in the case enjoyed immunity as parliamentary candidates from the time they were registered to stand in the snap parliamentary elections until the election results were announced. The criminal proceedings resumed on May 5. Varna Appellate Court Sends Case against Mayor Blagomir Kotsev Back to Sofia City Prosecution Office 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-08-14 17:26:42 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