DANS head blames prosecution for Petrohan tragedy inaction

Plamen Tonchev, head of the State Agency for National Security (DANS), has responded to allegations of inaction regarding the Petrohan tragedy. Addressing the Commission for Control over Security Services, Tonchev stated that DANS submitted a detailed report to the prosecution in January 2025, which included information regarding potential pedophilia and suspicious activities.

Tonchev argued that if the relevant judicial institutions had acted on the information provided in early 2025, the tragedy involving six bodies found at Petrohan Hut and near Okolchitsa Peak could have been prevented. He urged officials to review the case file opened in January 2025 based on DANS information.

The report underwent a lengthy administrative process, moving from the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office to the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office, and finally to the Kostinbrod District Prosecutor's Office due to jurisdictional reasons. This follows accusations from politicians, including Asen Vassilev of ‘We Continue the Change’, that the agency failed to act on intelligence dating back to 2022.