May 23, 2008

Back in April 2006 the political situation in Bulgaria could be described in the following way: the former communists ruled the country with the mandate of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). The majority and the Cabinet consisted of discredited and corrupted political figures that had been part of previous Bulgarian governments. The start of the new “red”-Turkish Government was a complete failure.

The patriotic ATAKA (Attack) Political Party that had taken part in the last elections caused a real furor in the society and its influence upon Bulgarians was increasing month by month. On the 3rd of March 2006 more than 20,000 upholders of the ATAKA party filled the central streets and “Aleksandar Nevski” square in Sofia taking part in an impressive political procession. Such a demonstration hadn’t been seen since 1989 regarding the number of people taking part in the event.

In February 2006 all sociologists reported that ATAKA party was the second most powerful political force in Bulgaria after the governing Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the margin between their ratings was quickly diminishing. Analysis of the sociopolitical tendencies showed that the Bulgarian nationalist party was going to become the first political force till the middle of the year and that it would get most of the MP mandates if preterm elections were to be held. These facts shocked the political staff at 20 Pozitano Street where the BSP headquarters was situated.

“If we don’t take proper measures these people will wipe us out of the government and we’ll be brought to book” – President Parvanov, who was also a former leader of the socialists, said in front of BSP top crust. The rough player of the socialists Rumen Petkov was urgently assigned the task to realize a strike against Volen Siderov’s party (ATAKA) aiming at shaking the increasing confidence in the patriots. Petkov was famous among his fellow socialists as the rough playing figure that had previously organized draining of North Bulgarian banks under the protection of his patron – late communist boss Andrey Lukanov. This criminal affair was carried out back in the 90’s in favour of BSP “black“funds and became notorious as the “Akram” case. During the presidential elections in 2005 Rumen Petkov coordinated the cash flows coming from the underground business and designed to support BSP campaign. At this time he was also an eminent member of the socialist party. Later as a Minister of the Internal Affairs Petkov continued his contacts with suspicious “business” people and that finally lead to his resignation after a series of scandals.

In March 2006 ATAKA political party started a strong campaign against the settlement of US military bases on Bulgarian territory. ATAKA was supported by hundreds of thousands Bulgarians who filled the squares in all district cities visited by the party leader Volen Siderov. The corrupted Bulgarian Government was expected to sign a contract with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Sofia on April 27. ATAKA announced a national protest demonstration against the US military bases that was to be held in the capital Sofia on the same date. Sofia Mayor prohibited the demonstration to take place near the National Palace of Culture where the Bulgarian governing politicians would cringe before Rice.

In spite of the long distance between the high guest and the protestors who gathered in the South Park the marionette Government was shocked by the idea of tens of thousands Bulgarian nationalists expressing their protest in front of the US delegation. Minister of the Internal Affairs Rumen Petkov speeded up the progress of the plot against Siderov including at this stage direct attacks against the political leader of the ATAKA party. Volen Siderov had already received anonymous threats against his life and had informed the police about this fact.

One of the last protest demonstrations against the US military bases took place in the town of Stara Zagora on April 7. In spite of the heavy rain thousands of people took part in the event that was held at the central square. After the demonstration Siderov set off for Sofia by the car of ATAKA party – Citroen C5 that was well known all over Bulgaria. His driver was Lyubomir Bakardzhiev – a young person introduced and recommended by Pavel Chernev. Chernev himself followed the Citroen being at the time an important companion of Siderov during his tours around the country. According to the facts when the following accident happened Chernev’s cell phone was switched off. Several kilometers away from the “Trayanova Vrata” pass two cars, a Mercedes Benz and a Ford, nervously passed the Citroen of ATAKA party. After passing the Citroen both the Mercedes and the Ford slowed down and prevented Siderov’s car from going forward normally. The ford literally danced in zigzags in front of the Citroen and brutally cut its way off. The Citroen driver was trying to pass the zigzagging cars when the Ford on its part crushed the car that Volen Siderov traveled by. Because of that crash the Citroen hit the crash barrier and almost turned upside down. What followed was a series of collisions caused by the Ford driver. Finally both the Citroen and the Ford stopped being stuck together on the road. Without any permission given by his boss the driver of Siderov got immediately out of the Citroen and caused damages both on the Ford and on the aggressor himself. After Mr. Siderov called his driver back the Citroen continued its way to Sofia without stopping.

After arriving in Sofia Pavel Chernev admitted that the driver Lyubomir had been a close friend of him for years on end and that the young man had a suspended sentence. Chernev pointed out that if the driver was arrested for fighting the road aggressor he would probably go to prison. Chernev asked Siderov to lie that the car was driven by Pavel Chernev himself. Thus he paid back previous favours done to him by certain people in the police. The time had come for Chernev to execute his black mission. (Translator’s note: the family name “Chernev” in Bulgarian provokes associations with the black colour).

The plot invented by Rumen Petkov aimed at misleading Siderov, making him forswear and presenting nationalist leader as a person who acted as a road hooligan. Carrying out the plan was a task assigned to the Dokovs family (father and son) who were the episodic actors in this theater. The Dokovs were presented as victims and also invited to a meeting by the Chairman of Bulgarian Parliament himself.  At the same time “accommodating” media spread out the false version of the story invented by Pavel Chernev who was claiming that he, being an adult and a lawyer, had been abetted in forswearing by Volen Siderov and his wife. Chernev consecutively changed 4 different versions of his testimonies until the investigating authorities managed to make up a bunch of lies in a way so it could be used to open a trial against Siderov. The farce that followed could be compared to the communist terror against leaders of Bulgarian opposition such as Nikola Petkov after September 9.

On April 12 - the fourth day after the accident – before any investigation work was done Bulgarian Parliament adopted a declaration blaming “Siderov’s hooligan behaviour”. On June 22 Siderov was stripped of his immunity of an MP before any legal proceedings against him had started. On August 15 Prosecutor Ivanka Trifonova signed an ordinance starting pre-court proceedings against Volen Siderov for abetting Pavel Chernev in forswearing. These pre-court proceedings continued till the end of the year without Siderov himself being notified in any way. In September 2006 however, the investigator Emil Ivanov gave interviews to “Trud” and “24 Chasa” national daily newspapers explaining that more Siderov would be accused of even more crimes and would be finally sentenced by the Court. These public statements of Ivanov as a representative of the investigating authorities violently broke the law but nobody brought him to book. Meanwhile Pavel Chernev testified again in September introducing a new lie that not only Siderov but also his wife Kapka abetted him in forswearing. Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that this variant was invented in the cabinet of Minister Rumen Petkov in the presence of investigator Emil Ivanov, Pavel Chernev and the Prosecutor Trifonova. The aim of this provocation was to realize a more “painful” strike against the leader of the ATAKA party in order to “make him lose his emotional balance and commit some faux pas” as Petkov himself said. The investigator on Siderov’s case Emil Ivanov was notorious for being an unscrupulous counterfeiter of data concerning different cases that had been investigated by him. Back in 1988 the same person used lies, pressure and fabrications to make up a conviction in murder accusing an innocent person who was declared not guilty in 1990. Back in the 80s Ivanov’s tendentiousness on that case was the theme of an article published even by “Rabotnichesko Delo” daily that was the official newspaper of the Bulgarian Communist Party.

Till February, 2007 Ivanov carried out the investigation without notifying Siderov at all. On February 2, 2007 Volen Siderov himself asked the National Investigation Service for an official document certifying whether he was a subject of investigation and answering the question why an investigator presumed public statements about a case in progress. Till February 6, 2007 leader of the ATAKA party wasn’t informed that he was investigated for abetting Pavel Chernev in forswearing. The investigation had been tendentiously carried out in the dark for six months.

Siderov was officially made a defendant on February 22, 2007 and his PREGNANT WIFE on March 6, 2007. A MONTH LATER SHE LOST THE CHILD. Both Siderov and his wife refused testifying in front of the tendentious investigator. Giving Siderov the indictment the investigator shouted foaming in the mouth that Siderov was going to “deal with him from now on” and that ”his time was coming”. Several court sittings were adjourned because of the absence of witnesses and lawyers. The Minister of the Internal Affairs didn’t show up even though he was an important witness on the case. Pavel Chernev on his part also missed two sittings of the Court. On May 7, 2008, the case against Volen Siderov and Kapka Siderova started. The indictment read in the courtroom was full of contradictions and absurdities such as the “fact” of a car moving at the speed of 120 km per hour passing another car moving on its part at the speed of 160 km per hour. This nonsense provoked the spontaneous indignation of all present in the courtroom.

The next sitting of the Court is appointed for May 26, 2008.