Bulgarian Judiciary Does it Again…

The Bulgarian judiciary continued to follow its tradition of lackadaisical prosecution and delayed the trial of Ataka leader Volen Siderov until the 12th of July.  The trial stems from a civil claim put forth by some 67 different NGO's over xenophobic and racist remarks made during the 2005 elections.  SNA reported that Siderov failed to adhere to a summons that required him to appear before the court.  Allegedly a new court order will be sent requiring him to appear at the next hearing.  I don't want to be making undue comparisons but if you don't show up for court in the U.S. you can expect that the police will come visit you with a warrant for your arrest.  But then again if there were over 100 gangland style mafia murders in the states, there would probably be at least one conviction.  What can you do?

New School Nationalism

It appears people are growing weary of Volen Siderov's lunacy and Ataka is now seeing its constituents defect.  On Saturday, a new nationalist party called Gvardiya (the Guards) emerged.  The party is led by former Ataka supporter Boyan Rasate and aims to "rehabilitate patriotism in the country."  As well, they seem to think that their name stands for "an elite group of people" who are "important and valuable to the state." I know little more however I suspect that they are substantially younger than the average Ataka supporter.  I will be keeping an eye on their development and will be sure to report anything that seems to be of significance.

Attack on Ataka

Sofia Morning News – May 12, 2006.

Nationalists Club in Varna Bombed

An explosive device went off in the club of Attack (Ataka) in Varna, on the Black Sea coast.

The explosion awoke local citizens at 1:30 am on Friday, but there are no casualties.

However, the club suffered serious material damages, announced Tsveta Georgieva, Attack’s coordinator in Varna.

She believed it was a terrorist attack aimed to threaten them.

The party’s leader Volen Siderov outspokenly put the blame on Interior Minister Rumen Petkov, accusing him of “involvement in many crimes, including some contracted murders” in Bulgaria.

“This terrorist act is the culmination of a series of attacks against our organisation,” Siderov said from the parliamentary rostrum on Friday.

News update

Sofia Morning News Agency – Politics: 11 May, 2006

MPs Launch Probe into Nationalist Leader Misdeed

The Parliament has decided to set up a committee to probe what happened in a road incident on Trakiya Highway and the role of nationalist leader Volen Siderov in it.

On the night of April 7 a car carrying Siderov had a road accident with another vehicle. MP Pavel Chernev, now expelled from the Attack (Ataka) party, was initially accused of beating up a young driver. Later he turned on his leader Volen Siderov, saying he was forced to give a false account of the attack on Trakiya highway.

The parliamentary motion was adopted a day after the lawmakers opened their summer recess and two weeks after the country’s Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev sought Siderov’s MP immunity. Only after that the court can start penal proceedings against the nationalist leader.

Asked if he would give up his immunity voluntarily, alike half a dozen MPs have already done, Volen Siderov said he did not admit himself guilty.

The committee is to announce its conclusions within a month.

News

May 1, 2006 - SMN Agency

Another 4 Expelled from Nationalist Ataka
Politics: 1 May 2006, Monday.

The nationalist party Ataka (Attack) has expelled four members from its municipal unit in Pernik for close links with the formation's former deputy head.

Radi Ivanov, Ivan Mladenov, Kamen Kitanov and Anguel Anguelov have been kicked out for joining a meeting, organized by Pavel Chernev.

The move comes to prove that the highway attack, in whose wake the nationalist leader Volen Siderov faced the very real prospect of being stripped of immunity and see his party split, still casts its repercussions.

Bulgaria's chief prosecutor undertook steps to lift the immunity of Volen Siderov on Friday last week. The proposed stripping of immunity is in connection with an investigation against Siderov for perjury and two related charges over the scandalous highway attack, which rattled the country at the beginning of April.

Pavel Chernev, now expelled from the party, was initially accused of beating up a young driver on the evening of April 7. Later he turned on his leader Volen Siderov, saying he was forced to give a false account of the attack on Trakiya highway.

If found guilty, Siderov may be sentenced to five years in prison for each of the three charges.

The nationalists, who have often been blamed for inciting racial intolerance, initially had a group of 21 MPs in the 240-seat parliament after winning 8% of the vote at last June elections. Following a number of scandals, resignations and expulsions the group was reduced to 14.

April 28, 2006 – Sofia Echo

Bulgarian Nationalist Leader Faces Immunity Lift

Politics: 28 April 2006, Friday.

Bulgaria's chief prosecutor undertook steps to lift the immunity of nationalists' leader Volen Siderov.

The proposed stripping of immunity is in connection with an investigation against Siderov for perjury and two related charges over a scandalous highway attack, which rattled the country at the beginning of April.

If found guilty, Siderov may be sentenced to five years in prison for each of the three charges.

Bulgaria's senior prosecutor Boris Velchev has attached 200 pages of documents to the request that he lodged to parliament. The MPs will deliver thier verdict on May 10.

The move comes in the wake of the revelations of former Ataka member Pavel Chernev, who was initially accused of beating up a young driver on the evening of April 7. He later turned on his leader Volen Siderov by saying that he forced him to give a false account of the attack on Trakiya highway.

Chernev said the person responsible for the incident was actually Volen Siderov's driver – Lyubomir Bakardzhiev.

The nationalists, who have often been blamed for inciting racial intolerance, initially had a group of 21 MPs in the 240-seat parliament after winning 8% of the vote at last June elections. Following a number of scandals, resignations and expulsions the group was reduced to 14.

News

April 17th, 2006 - It appears that Ataka is on the verge of disentigration following the events associated with an auto accident last week.  Siderov allegedly made his deputy, appropriately known as "the fist" of the party, lie about the incident and apparently fired rounds from his gun during the ordeal. For some unknown reason, this has had a negative effect and the two members are now on bad terms. It is possible however that the party might undergo a significant overhaul and re-emerge more organized. One party member, Petar Baron, was on a political talk show today and has expressed interest in leading a new parliamentary group. Even considering the dissolution of the party, it provides very little comfort if the party's constituents have learned nothing.