"First were the cases involving terrorism. Involving Russian malign influence, which no one had investigated before and which was not considered a problem - one former prime minister even gave Putin a puppy (an allusion to Boyko Borisov - ed.). Cases against oligarchs who were considered untouchable, who fled to Dubai, to Serbia, probably protected by the Russians, bribed lobbyists who attacked the Bulgarian prosecutor's office. The prosecutor's office was attacked: the mafia of politicians, oligarchs, criminals, all those who want to continue stealing, united. I, and I hope the Bulgarians, do not want this to continue. I hope that this day marks the beginning of the end of the oligarchic model. 

...It all started a few months ago, when I was advised - I was told that the suggestion came from Boyko Borissov - to take up the post of ambassador to Turkey or Israel or to start a political career, probably in Borissov's party. I did not take it seriously. By the way, from Ukraine I said that if Putin comes to Bulgaria, we will comply with our legal obligations and will bring him before the International Court of Justice. I do not know whether there is a causal link here, but that was the beginning. Then followed the attack on me, which you know about. I was very upset about that."

According to the chief prosecutor's assessment, the May 1 bomb attack was a deliberate attempt to kill him.

Geshev then called for the dismissal of his deputy, the director of the National Investigation Service, Borislav Sarafov, who had urged the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) to dismiss the prosecutor general. Otherwise, Geshev would file a request to the SJC for Sarafov's dismissal.

We recall that Maria Gabriel - GERB-SDS's candidate for prime minister - announced that one of the main tasks of the prospective government under her leadership would be to ask for the resignation of Bulgaria's Prosecutor General. The dismissal of Ivan Geshev was also at the centre of the mass protests of Bulgarians at home and abroad in the summer of 2020, which preceded a series of parliamentary elections and a deepening of the political crisis in the country.