Bulgaria: Chairman of State Intelligence Agency to Be Relieved of His Post

Bulgaria's Caretaker Cabinet has made a proposal to relieve of his the post the Chairman of the State Intelligence Agency Atanas Atanasov, announced cabinet spokesman Anton Kutev after a sitting of the Council of Ministers.

The cabinet proposes Antoine Gechev to take up the position.Gechev, a colonel who between 2018 and 2020 was deputy head of military intelligence, is currently a military attaché at the Bulgarian embassy in Rome.

Here is the rationale for Atanasov's dismissal:

"Regardless of the need to ensure sustainability of the system for the protection of the national security of the Republic of Bulgaria under the direction of Atanas Atanasov  the State Intelligence Agency has carried out its activities without compliance with the principles of objectivity, impartiality and political neutrality. According to the law regulating the work of the State Intelligence Agency, it should provide equal in volume and content information to the President of the Republic, the President of the National Assembly and the Prime Minister. There is a violation of this principle with regard to the intelligence provided to the President of the Republic," Anton Kutev said.

Stanislav Stanchev, who replaces Nedyalko Nedyalkov, is proposed as deputy chairman of the State Agency for National Security (DANS). Nedyalkov was dismissed in mid-May. According to him, one of the reasons for this is his signature under  the order which denied Rashkov access to classified information, issued two years ago for a period of 3 years.