Bulgaria names new top prosecutor despite EU concerns

(SOFIA) - Bulgaria's top judicial body has elected a new chief national prosecutor despite criticism he is too close to the government, even as the European Commission is closely monitoring the country's judiciary.

The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), responsible for all major judiciary appointments, voted in Sotir Tsatsarov, head of the regional court in Plovdiv, for a seven-year term late Thursday.

Tsatsarov's nomination sparked controversy after he was openly favoured by both Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

Critics, including investigators, judges and human rights groups, said this would compromise his future independence from the executive branch of power.

Bulgaria's judicial appointments are already closely watched by the European Commission, which highlighted in its last monitoring report in July that they "lacked sufficient transparency" and were still "marred by accusations of political influence and shortcomings in integrity."

"Ensure that the election of the general prosecutor gives an example of a transparent, competitive process based on criteria of integrity and effectiveness," the Commission urged in the report.

Bulgarian media reports have noted that of all the country's courts, the one in Plovdiv prompted the highest number of rulings against Bulgaria at the Strasbourg-based International Court of Human Rights: 120 out of a total 395 since 1992, according to the Presa daily.

Tsatsarov was in charge of that court for the last 13 years.

Tsatsarov was approved by 18 members out of the 24-strong judicial council.