Valeriya Veleva leaves Yotova-Valchev presidential initiative committee

Journalist Valeriya Veleva has resigned from the initiative committee of presidential candidates Iliyana Yotova and Kiril Valchev. Her departure follows pressure from the Democratic Bulgaria political group, which called for the candidates to distance themselves from her due to her publication of investigative expertise regarding the ‘Petrohan’ case.

Veleva stated that while she is not abandoning her journalistic work, she will not allow her publications to be used for political purposes in the upcoming presidential race. She defended her decision to release the information, arguing that society deserves to know the full truth regarding the allegations of child abuse involved in the case, despite the sensitivity of the data.

Concurrently, Asen Vassilev, chairman of Progressive Bulgaria, has raised questions regarding the State Agency for National Security (SANS). He questioned why the agency failed to act on signals related to the Petrohan case as far back as 2022 and suggested that certain elements within the agency may have been protecting those involved. The controversy stems from the public release of details involving a minor, which has sparked a broader debate over political accountability and the handling of sensitive criminal investigations.