Sofia’s Military Court of Appeal is due on 29 October to review the decision to leave an employee of Bulgaria’s National Protection Service without a pretrial restrictive measure in the case involving journalist Sonya Koltuklieva. No outcome from the appeal had been confirmed in the morning reports checked for this article.
The case follows the incident on 22 October near the official vehicle of parliamentary Speaker Michaela Dotsova. Koltuklieva was trying to ask questions when physical contact with a protection officer was followed by her falling to the ground. The prosecution alleges that the officer caused moderate bodily injury.
The first-instance court’s assessment is important: the reports describe a dispute over whether the video establishes the alleged blow and the connection between the officer’s actions and the injury. The lower court also found no established risk of flight or reoffending. Those findings concern the evidence and need for a measure at this stage; they do not amount to a final acquittal.
The appeal therefore has a narrower purpose than the wider political argument surrounding the incident. A decision about restrictions before trial does not resolve criminal responsibility, and an accusation must not be presented as a conviction.
The incident has also raised questions about protection protocols and the conduct of public officials. NSO chief Emil Tonev submitted his resignation after a presidential request. Submission of a resignation should not be confused with confirmation that every formal step in his departure has been completed.
