Bulgarian democracy in danger: open letter against the destruction of nature & rule of law

As Bulgarians, Europeans, and free people, we support the Bulgarian citizens marching in the streets and filling the squares of their cities to protest against the rampant corruption in the country.

Bulgaria is the poorest and most corrupt European country with endangered Rule of Law  and Freedom of Speech . Together with the millions of Bulgarians (approximately one third of the population) who have fled their country we demand the re-establishment of the Rule of Law, guaranteeing accountability on all levels of political power and public office, transparency and the deserved dignity of all those young people who want to live in Bulgaria.

We call on the European leaders to stand by us and to hold Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and the Chief Public Prosecutor, Ivan Geshev accountable for the current situation in Bulgaria:

• broken institutions and unreformed dependent structures of power ruling a European country
• arrests without legal evidence
  
• the ruthless and unsustainable exploitation of Bulgarian nature, our precious sea coast and mountains, serving the mafia circles
  
• the capture of the Bulgarian sea coast by people with shady political interests and their palaces. 

We Support and Demand:

• the  anti-corruption protests in Bulgaria 
• reform of  the judiciary
• disbandment and reorganization of the prosecution, which still exists under Soviet totalitarian model
  
• establishment of the Rule of law – against the power of kleptocracy in the country.

“ The truth cannot lead us in the wrong direction. Silence will certainly do it.” Christian Takoff (1965 – 2017), inspirational Bulgarian legal scholar, university professor and civil activist.

We support the Bright Side Generation in Bulgaria!

Maya Stoilova, Miroslava Petrova and Roumen Petrov, Atty

Recent Facts to Remember:

• The nature reserve Alepu swamp & beach, the only habitat of rare and protected birds, is endangered by "reinforcement construction," illicitly serving the interests of a government-protected investor in a concrete monstrosity to become an enormous hotel-resort;

• The constant police harassment and media attacks against the civil society who guard the last remaining wild beaches in Bulgaria led to unconstitutional legislative changes against the camping culture and the cause of the civil movement Sea of Concrete;

• Thousands of tons of sewage waste leaked for 9 months into Varna Lake, which directly flows into the Black Sea, causing an unprecedented environmental disaster, with no one of the local or central government being made accountable and no investigation results;

• In May, investigative journalist Mr Georgi Alexandrov was found drowned in Varna Lake with his camera and laptop, an accident or a suicide, according to the official version of events - yet another one in a series of tragic accidental deaths of Bulgarian journalists;

• Amendments to the Biodiversity Act were adopted at first reading in parliament, which threaten the European network of nature protection areas Natura 2000 in Bulgaria, and which create yet more potential construction sites for the oligarchs;

• The Bulgarian coast is being literally conquered by the shady interests and palaces of oligarchs and politicians, in violation of the Constitution of Bulgaria and contrary to the interests of the Bulgarian citizens to whom it belongs;

• Police violence against protesters like the young law student, Evgeni Marchev, who was beaten by several policemen during the protests in Sofia on 10 July, without having shown any active resistance or aggressive behavior and was hospitalized shortly after.