Together with three European organisations of judges (AEAJ, EAJ and MEDEL), Rechters voor Rechters (Judges for Judges) sent a letter to Ms. Dunja Mijatović, Commissioner for Human Rights (CoE) and Mr. Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice in which our strong concerns are presented about the situation of the judiciary in Bulgaria, where – even recently – cases of judges exposed to pressure and intimidating conduct in connection with the exercise of their professional duties have been reported. We wished to draw their attention in particular to the very alarming developments concerning Judge Vladislava Tzarigradska (picture). After a media smear campaign in 2019 and the threats that led in January 2020 to the assignment of security measures to her and her family for several months, in February 2020 Judge Tzarigradska, at that time serving at Lukovit District Court, and Judge Tsvetko Lazarov, of the Sofia Court of Appeal, reported in a public session of the Judicial Chamber of the Superior Council of the Judiciary on the attacks and pressure they had received from specific individuals while conducting criminal proceedings. One of these individuals was shot dead in January 2024. For the threats and pressure repeatedly denounced since 2019 by Judge Tzarigradska, criminal proceedings were only initiated in May 2023, and no charges have been yet brought against anyone. After her last public statements on the threats she received, Judge Tzarigradska was again targeted by media attacks and threatening messages, to the extent that security measures have been ordered again since last February.
Click here voor the Open Letter from Bulgaria:
