Bulgarian Parliament fails to hold hearing on Atanasov pardon

An extraordinary session of the Bulgarian National Assembly failed to take place on October 13, 2026, due to a lack of quorum. The session was convened to investigate the controversial pardon of drug trafficker Ognyan Atanasov, known as the ‘Petrich Escobar’, who was pardoned by then-Vice President Iliyana Yotova in December 2022.

Lawmakers intended to hear testimony from key officials, including Ivaylo Yordanov, Director General of the Executive of Punishments, and Svetoslav Penov, head of the Sofia Prison. The inquiry aimed to scrutinize the medical reports and behavioral data used to justify the pardon, as well as an incident involving a physical altercation between Atanasov and another inmate in November 2022.

The session was requested by the ‘We Continue the Change’ party with support from ‘Democratic Bulgaria’ and GERB. Despite initial registrations of 87 deputies, the number dropped to 80 during a second attempt to open the meeting, preventing the assembly from proceeding.