Bulgarian President Rumen Radev dismissed Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev on June 15th, halfway through his seven-year term, following ongoing local and international disappointment and calls that Geshev has failed to address corruption.
Radev signed a decree for Geshev’s dismissal three days after the Supreme Judicial Council of Bulgaria (SJC) voted to remove him following months of political intrigue, including an alleged bomb attack against him.
Geshev, 52 years old, was appointed for a seven-year term in 2019 with comprehensive powers to oversee the work of all prosecutors.
However, his appointment sparked strong reactions from people accusing him of protecting corrupt politicians, oligarchs, and mafia leaders who were never brought to justice.
The United States and the United Kingdom sanctioned several Bulgarian individuals for corruption in February of this year, which some experts interpreted as growing disappointment in Washington and London over Geshev’s failure to target powerful individuals involved in corruption.
Initially, Geshev enjoyed the support of the SJC, which is responsible for all judicial appointments, but the council’s support waned after Geshev referred to lawmakers as “political garbage” during a press conference on May 15th.
The SJC’s vote came after the new coalition government in Bulgaria prioritized Geshev’s removal.
Bulgaria ranks poorly in terms of perception of corruption within the European Union, according to Transparency International.
On June 12th, the Supreme Judicial Council of Bulgaria voted for Geshev’s dismissal after a period of political intrigue, including an alleged bomb incident targeting the prosecutor.
Immediately after the council’s decision, 52-year-old Ivan Geshev strongly criticized the outcome and held former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and influential businessman Delyan Peevski accountable for his dismissal.
