site.btaNinety-two Family Members of Ukrainian Judiciary Staff Arrive in Bulgaria

A total of 92 family members of employees of the Ukrainian judiciary have arrived in Bulgaria, a BTA reporter said. They entered the country with a police escort on two buses and a few cars shortly after 5:00 am on Monday through the Durankulak checkpoint on the border with Romania.

Bulgarian Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev, who was also at the border crossing, said that the Ukrainians themselves expressed desire to come to Bulgaria. "Representatives of the Ukrainian prosecuting magistracy got in touch with me, I talked with Ukraine's Prosecutor General and other representatives of the Ukrainian judiciary. Initially this was just an idea as of March 2 and 3, but they called early Saturday morning and we had to organize everything urgently. Everything was organized in less than 24 hours," Geshev said.  

The arrivals will be accommodated in a facility owned by the Bulgarian prosecuting magistracy. The Ukrainians are coming from cities where there is military action, Geshev explained, adding that he will propose to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) that two accommodation facilities be temporarily provided to the prosecuting magistracy. One of the facilities needs to be renovated and the SJC's plenum could request funds from the State for this purpose. "I believe at least another 200 people can be accommodated there, in addition to the 92 people who have arrived now," Geshev said.

Geshev explained that he came to the border crossing because of his commitments to his Ukrainian colleagues, with whom he has good professional relations. He thanked his Romanian and Moldovan counterparts, as well as his colleagues from the prosecution office in the Bulgarian coastal city of Varna, because the trip and arrival of the Ukrainians was organized on such a short notice precisely thanks to the good cooperation and the good relations between the prosecution offices and prosecutors general of Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria.