Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev is now in prison in the seaside capital, after being escorted from Sofia today. The transfer is necessary due to a change in the jurisdiction of the case against him, which will now be heard by the Varna District Court, NOVA reported.
The transfer order was issued by Judge Svetla Daskalova, who was appointed rapporteur for the trial on Friday. The mayor arrived in Varna this afternoon, his defense confirmed.
Key hearing
The Varna District Court will hold an open court hearing on Thursday, November 27. The magistrates will consider the requests of Kotsev's lawyers to change the most severe measure of detention imposed on him, "detention in custody". The defense is expected to request a lighter measure that would allow the mayor to fulfill his official duties.
The battle for the mayor's chair
In parallel with the judicial saga, the administrative tension surrounding Kotsev's position continues. On Sunday, the Municipal Election Commission (MEC) - Varna held an extraordinary meeting, but did not reach a decision on the early termination of his powers.
The commission announced that it would request additional documents from the municipal administration in connection with the vacation used by the mayor before making a final decision.
Blagomir Kotsev was arrested on July 8, 2025, during an operation by the Anti-Corruption Commission. The other defendants in the case are facing lighter measures – Businessman Yordan Marinov was released in July, and municipal councilors Yordan Kateliyev and Nikolay Stefanov have been under house arrest since early October.