Thousands of Bulgarians joined an anti-corruption protest on April 12, demanding that Magnitsky-sanctioned politician Delyan Peevski be isolated from access to power.

The protest, organised by the Justice for All NGO, comes amid Peevski's increasingly evident intervention in the ruling coalition and calls by members of the ruling Gerb party for the official inclusion of his DPS – New Beginning party in the coalition.

Protest leaders argued that Peevski is part of a mafia that has taken control of Bulgarian institutions including the government and the judiciary. 

“Peevski is a product of our organised crime, through him this [organised] crime has completely taken over the control – first of the media, then the justice system, the executive power, the services, big business, everything,” prominent writer Radoslav Bimbalov told protesters. 

“This criminal network has grown together with the authorities a long time ago and there is only one definition for it, and you know it – mafia. The Bulgarian mafia, which before Peevski raised [DPS founder Ahmed] Dogan, and then [former prime minister and Gerb leader Boyko] Borissov! The Bulgarian mafia, which is a branch of the Russian mafia and acts in the old, tried and tested ways of every mafia, controls not just the systems and authorities, it controls the people,” he continued.

Bimbalov called on Bulgarians not to give up the fight for democracy and rule of law.

“There is a fat, tough lie that they are forcing us swallow lately. This is the lie that democracy has expired. The lie that democracy has failed because it is destroying itself, eating itself. Democracy, we are told, has created the monsters that turn it into an autocracy,” he said. 

“The ugly faces of politics, of power, were children of democracy. This is the biggest lie they try to shove down our throats and very often succeed.” 

Another famous Bulgarian writer, Zahari Karabashliev, said Bulgarians should stay active in defending the rule of law and demanding action against top-level corruption.

The thousands-strong protest followed another demonstration held earlier the same day, during which protesters demanded the authorities take measures to reduce the high death toll in car accidents. 

Also drawing thousands of participants, the earlier protest was the latest in a series sparked by the death of a 12-year-old girl in a car crash earlier this year. 

The girl, named Siana, died on a high-risk road section, about which both the police and ordinary citizens had repeatedly raised concerns, but the authorities did nothing to make it safe. After Siana’s death, protests accusing the authorities of negligence were held across the country under the “I am Siana” slogan.

The Bulgarian government has pledged to focus on making the road section safe and to focus on roads across the country where the risk of car accidents is high.

However, protesters argue Siana’s death is a case of corruption killing people, as Bulgaria has numerous poorly built or maintained roads where millions of euros have been syphoned off.