Iliana Yotova processed 110 pardon files without required quorum

A total of 110 pardon files were handled by a three-member auxiliary commission at the Bulgarian presidency between November 1, 2017, and January 15, 2018, operating short of the four-member quorum required by presidential decree, segabg.com reported. The procedural lapse occurred while the vice president’s post was held by Iliana Yotova, who is currently serving as president and running for a new mandate, according to a review of appointment and release decrees issued since the start of the presidential mandate of Rumen Radev and Yotova in 2017.

Quorum Collapse Follows Departures of Commission Members

The operational crisis at the pardons commission began on October 20, 2017, when Ralitsa Ilkova was released from her position, dropping the active membership to the bare minimum of four. Ten days later, commission chairwoman Iva Pushkarova was also released, leaving the advisory body with only three members: Yulia Boyadzhieva, Ivan Bukarev, and Valentina Karaganova. None of these three remaining members were legal professionals. Under the established rules of the decree governing the commission, valid meetings and decisions required the physical presence of at least four members. Public reports from the commission confirm that despite falling below quorum, the three remaining members held six meetings and processed 110 pardon applications during this period.

Legal Scrutiny and Differing Outlet Reports on the Invalidity Risk

Legal experts consulted by segabg.com stated that the three individuals could not issue valid decisions and that their reports constituted private opinions rather than official commission rulings. In the absence of a chairman, the chief secretary of the presidency bears the responsibility for decree compliance. Yotova received reports from a non-existent commission and acted upon them, which legal specialists say casts doubt on the legality of the subsequent pardon procedures. While this does not automatically invalidate the actual presidential pardon decrees issued, it increases the institutional accountability of the vice president due to the absence of a legitimate collective body to supply professional expertise.

Restoration of the Commission and Subsequent Personnel Changes

Normal operations resumed on January 15, 2018, when Rumen Radev signed decrees appointing Lidiya Rumenova as chairwoman and Momyana Guneva as a member. Rumenova brought five years of prosecutorial experience accumulated during the 1981–1986 period, while Guneva, a professor of criminal law, had previously served on the pardons commission during the two terms of Georgi Parvanov and Angel Marin. A sixth member, Lyubomir Bozhkov, joined the commission on July 20, 2018, prompting a formal modification of the rules to match the new headcount. Bozhkov remained on the board until his release on June 17, 2025.

Escalation Around the Pardon of Ognyan Atanasov

The controversy surrounding Yotova’s management of pardon files gained broader public traction due to a separate, high-profile case involving convicted drug trafficker Ognyan Atanasov, widely known as the “Petrich Escobar.” A scheduled parliamentary hearing addressing the Atanasov case failed to materialize after deputies from the Progressive Bulgaria party intentionally engineered a lack of quorum.