Bulgarian Constitutional Court judge Desislava Atanassova is facing increasing pressure to step down amid allegations of her involvement in a private flight with the sanctioned politician Delyan Peevski. The incident, alleged to have occurred in April 2024, has prompted calls from both ruling party members and opposition lawmakers for Atanassova’s resignation. They argue that her stepping aside would represent an ethical decision as the details of the alleged trip are further investigated. The situation gained heightened attention following Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev’s disclosure to Parliament, claiming Atanassova joined Peevski on a private flight from Sofia to Dubai.
In response, there have been demands for a comprehensive investigation into how Peevski’s private flights are financed, especially considering that he is under U.S. and U.K. sanctions for alleged corruption. Demerdzhiev highlighted that Peevski has undertaken hundreds of outbound flights over the past eight years, with many conducted on chartered aircraft. These revelations have intensified scrutiny over the financial and ethical implications surrounding Peevski’s travel arrangements.
Atanassova, however, has firmly denied these allegations. She asserts that during the specified period, her travels were limited to commercial flights with Turkish Airlines between Sofia and Istanbul, with no trips to Dubai. To substantiate her defense, she has provided official travel documentation and passport records, which she claims disprove the accusations. Atanassova has characterized the claims as baseless and misleading.
The Constitutional Court is currently reviewing the situation but has indicated that it lacks the legal framework to forcibly remove a judge under these specific circumstances. Meanwhile, investigative authorities are also probing whether any official travel documentation may have been altered as part of this ongoing inquiry. The unfolding situation continues to capture attention as the investigation progresses, raising broader questions about transparency and accountability within Bulgaria’s judicial and political systems.