Once again, Bulgarian justice has made clear why its system is in need of radical if not draconian reform. Or, to put it in another way, it needs to carry out a tabula rasa, and simply begin from scratch.

Last Tuesday the Sofia City Court refused the extradition to Moscow of Russian businessman Nikolai Koblyakov who also has French citizenship and is co-founder of an NGO called Russie – Liberté active organizing protests against the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The businessman and human rights activist was detained at Sofia Airport on 29 July 2014 under an Interpol order for arrest required by Moscow. Koblyakov is facing charges of financial fraud and embezzlement to the tune of 1.2 million euro.

At its first session on the case last summer the Bulgarian court of justice ruled to ask for further information from the Russian authorities. The second and last session held on Tuesday was a classical vaudeville. Before even a ruling from the court, prosecutor Valentin Kirilov withdrew the extradition request and delivered a tirade that took us back to the Iron Curtain era. Obviously having forgotten that the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office was backing the thesis for the need to extradite Koblyakov, Kirilov pathetically described Russia as a totalitarian state incapable of providing for a fair trial. He said that Koblyakov’s political activity against Putin was something good but in case he returned to Russia he might become subject to persecution. The question is whether it is part of the job of Bulgarian justice to deliver political statements about foreign countries and to rule based on ideological arguments.

In a bid to save appearances, Judge Desislav Lyubomirov clearly distanced himself from the political discourse of the prosecutor. However, he still refused the extradition of Koblyakov on grounds that Russian charges were inconsistent with the Bulgarian Criminal Code.

So, the outcome was not unlike the ending of a Hollywood soap opera. Nikolai Koblyakov has been rescued from the evil forces. He thanked the court and the prosecutor’s office and stated he would remain in Bulgaria to contribute to democracy and business development of the country. He has also asked President Rosen Plevneliev for political asylum.

The response of the Presidency is still being waited for, but the question arises why Koblyakov has chosen not to return to his second homeland, France. Evil gossip has it that the fraud worth more than 1 million euro has to do with a French company, and in France democracy, justice and other things are worthier than in Bulgaria.

*The opinion of the author may not necessarily correspond to the stand of this media outlet

English Daniela Konstantinova