Nikola Filchev is officially advisor to the Attorney General

Former chief prosecutor Nikola Filchev joined the newly created expert council under the current head of the state prosecutor’s office, Ivan Geshev. It is clear from the prosecutor’s office announcement that the council will help Geshev to oversee the legality and methodological guidance on the activities of all prosecutors and investigators. This is the main constitutional power of the Attorney General.

The council is made up of lawyers with vast experience. It also includes the last chief prosecutor before the democratic changes: Vasil Mrachkov. For the past 30 years, Mrachkov has assisted in the expert capacity of the legal commission in the National Assembly.

Nikola Filchev’s term in the prosecution ended in early 2006. Three years later, Bulgaria was sentenced to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in the case of Kolevi v. Bulgaria.

The Strasbourg court recognized the obvious that the Attorney General in Bulgaria is untouchable and no one will investigate him on suspicion of a crime. The motive for the magistrates’ verdict in Strasbourg was the case of the murder of the Supreme Prosecutor Nikolay Kolev.

For 11 years, Bulgaria has refused to comply with the ruling of the Strasbourg court and to remove the inviolability of the Attorney General. The current Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev denies the conclusions of the Strasbourg court.

Nikola Filchev was one of the brightest public lobbyists in Geshev’s election as chief prosecutor. The other activist for Geshev’s appointment who joins the council is former head of the National Audit Office Valeri Dimitrov.

The expert council will also include former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Valeri Parvanov, who held this position during the time of Boris Velchev and Slavka Slavova. The other long-time chief prosecutor is Slavka Slavova.

The composition of the expert council, as presented by the prosecution:

Prof. Ph.D. Vasil Mrachkov – Chief Prosecutor of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria in the period 1987-1989;

Prof. Dr. Nikola Filchev – Professor of Criminal Law; Chief Prosecutor of the Republic of Bulgaria in the period 1999-2006; Professor of Criminal Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of National and World Economy;

Prof. Dra. Momyana Guneva – Professor of Criminal Law; professor and program coordinator of the Public Law Council of the Free University of Burgas; member of the President’s Legal Council;

Prof. Dr. Valeri Dimitrov – Professor of Administrative Law and Doctor of Financial Law; President of the National Audit Office for the period 2005-2014; Professor of Financial and Banking Law at the University of National and World Economy;

Prof. Ph.D. Georgi Mitov – Doctor of Law and Professor of Criminal Procedural Law; professor at the University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski” and VTU “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”; Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Veliko Tarnovo “Saint Cyril and Methodius”;

Prof. Ph.D. Kostadin Bobev – Professor of Criminology and Doctor of Law; professor at the Free University of Burgas and Southwestern University “Neofit Rilski”; long-time director of the Research Institute of Criminology and Criminology;

Prof. Dra. Hristina Balabanova – Professor of Administrative Law and Administrative Procedure; Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of National and World Economy;

Prof. I.Sc. Gosho Petkov – Doctor of Psychology, Doctor of Science, Professor of National Security Programs; professor at the University of Library Science and Information Technology;

Assoc. Dr. Iva Pushkarova – specialized in English and European law; professor at the University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski” and the Academy of the Ministry of the Interior in Criminal Law; professor at the National Institute of Justice; expert in criminal law and human rights at the Council of Europe, the European Commission, specialized in preparing experts on the effectiveness of legislation and legal norms in the Republic of Bulgaria;

Assoc Prof. Dra. Margarita Zlatareva – Judge of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bulgaria in the period 1997-2006; Doctor of Law and Associate Professor of Civil Procedure, specialized in banking and constitutional law; professor of civil procedural law;

Prof. Dra. Gabriela Belova – Professor of International Law and International Relations; Deputy Dean, Faculty of Law and History, Southwestern University “Neofit Rilski”, Blagoevgrad; Head of the Department of International Law and International Relations of Southwestern University “Neofit Rilski”, Blagoevgrad; professor of international public law and international disputes and conflicts;

Chief Assistant Dr. Pavel Smolichki – Doctor of Law; Assistant Chief of the Faculty of Law of the University of National and International Economics, Department of Criminal Law; professor at the University of National and World Economy in criminal procedure, executive criminal law and legal foundations;

Ch. Assistant Professor Dr. Ivaylo Tsonkov – Professor of Criminal Procedural Law at the University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski”; member of the Legislation Advisory Council to the President of the 40th National Assembly;

Ch. Assistant Professor Dr. Kapka Georgieva – Doctor of Law; Advisor in the Political Cabinet of Deputy the Prime Minister for judicial reform and the fight against corruption in the period 2017-2019; Director of the Directorate of “Confiscation of property acquired from criminal activities” in the Commission for the establishment of property acquired from criminal activities, in the period 2006 – 2012; Professor of Administrative Law, International Administrative Law and Refugee Law at the University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski”;

Valeri Parvanov – Deputy – Chief Prosecutor for the period 02.08.2006 – 17.01.2013;

Slavka Slavova – longtime prosecutor in the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office; he held the position of Head of the Administrative Department in the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office;

Georgi Iliev: long-term investigator in cases of high public interest and with factual and legal complexity; he held the position of Head of the Terrorist Acts Prevention and Investigation Unit in the National Investigation Service;

Rumen Kirov – Head of the Specialized Department “Economic Crimes” – National Investigation Service; Head of the Specialized Department “International cooperation, training and investigation of human trafficking and money laundering” in the period 2007 – 2014