Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov Presses Prosecutor’s College Over Emiliya Rusinova Removal

Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov warned Bulgaria’s Prosecutor’s College that the statutory seven‑day deadline for a temporary suspension of Emiliya Rusinova is expiring and is unlikely to be met. He said failure to rule would mean the College is not complying with the law and noted he has legal tools to intervene.

Naydenov announced that the Justice Ministry is drafting amendments to the Judicial Power Act aimed at eliminating the so‑called “eternal heads” – long‑standing administrative leaders in the judiciary. The reforms propose stricter integrity checks for candidates, random selection of a pool of specialized judges for granting authorisations, and expanded oversight of past appointments. An autumn election of a new Supreme Judicial Council under the new rules is planned.

He also pointed to concerns about the use of special intelligence measures on magistrates without ensuing criminal proceedings and mentioned ongoing work to align national legislation with international sanctions regimes such as the Magnitsky law.