Framing and raiding: Bulgaria's Kafkaesque Prosecutor's Office [Blog post]

Abstract

In early June 2021, Bulgaria's Prosecutor's Office raided the Ministry of Interior and raised charges against a senior employee. According to the Minister of Interior Boyko Rashkov, the goal of the Prosecutor's Office is to sabotage an inquiry into illegal wiretapping. The senior employee who was charged indeed participated in the inquiry. A similar raid against the Bulgarian Presidency in July 2020 during which two of the President's advisors were arrested sparked mass protests demanding the resignation of both Borissov's government and General Prosecutor Ivan Geshev which lasted for months. Bulgaria's Prosecutor's Office is a Kafkaesque institution rather than a mere threat against the rule of law. Its crushing yet unrestrained authority is used as a weapon against the opponents of the status quo and a laundry detergent for corrupt politicians.