One of the “Russophiles,” Zlatomir Devlensky, was detained by security agents early Monday morning in his own home. He was later released on bail of 5,000 levs (about 2.5 thousand euros). The Bulgarian faces up to eight years in prison for revealing classified information.
According to Malinov, “a minor official in Plovdiv has nowhere to gain access to classified information.” Malinov is sure that the real reason for the persecution is the fact that he visited Sochi.
The deputy chairman of the Russophiles for the Revival of the Fatherland party, Asen Asenov, was also questioned. His colleagues believe that the procedure is related to a trip to Crimea. On March 3, he celebrated Bulgaria’s national holiday – the day of liberation from the Ottoman yoke in 1878 after the Russo-Turkish war.
Malinov stressed that Russophiles in Bulgaria continue to work within the law, despite the persecution by the authorities. “We perceive this, personally, I have always perceived it as a high appreciation of my activities,” concluded the leader of the Russophilov movement.
