US Magnitsky sanctions fall upon the rotation in the coalition Bulgarian government

Bulgarian News Channel BNEWS reports that: "The US State Department and the Treasury Department in Washington have proposed a record-long list of 20 Bulgarian names to President Joe Biden that are subject to penalties for their financial assets on the territory of the United States.

The list includes mainly active politicians from the Bulgarian Parliament and beyond, former ministers, magistrates, former and current mayors, and emblematic oligarchs hiding on the territory of third countries.

There are names from across the political spectrum, but certain parties are "prioritized". Many are linked politically and economically to more than one party.

For the first time, the names of mayors from large and medium-sized cities are included. Mayors are subject to anti-corruption sanctions in North Macedonia and other Balkan countries.

The motives for the sanctions are political corruption on a grand scale, violation of sanctions against Russia, trafficking of drugs, weapons and dual-use goods, human rights violations and systematic restrictions on freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial.

The list is subject to approval by President Joe Biden's administration. This should happen in the next 90 days.

If it does not happen within this period, it will remain for signature by the next elected president. Such is the tradition and ethics of senior administration and political power in Washington.

So far, there have been two waves of sanctions against Bulgarian citizens under Magnitsky – in 2021 and 2022, which coincided with the mandate of Ambassador Herro Mustafa. She caused shock and horror among the Bulgarian political and economic elite.

European media sources – partners of BNEWS – say that the topic of imposing new ones will be discussed in a close circle between Biden and key experts on Eastern Europe and Russia from the Capitol immediately after the New Year. The talks and strategic analyses will be in light of whether the economic interests of the Bulgarian elite coincide with its declared Euro-Atlantic loyalty. The holes can be seen with the naked eye across the Atlantic.

The same sources commented that all talks of expensive lobbyists, who have promised their clients under sanctions to remove them from the lists, are “unrealistic” and “groundless”.

It is possible for the list to be published in parts – in two or three stages thematically. Corruption and systematic violation of human rights, drug trafficking and systematic boycott of sanctions against the Putin regime.

The decision to do so is purely political and is taken by the President of the United States and his Secretary of the Treasury.

The State Department has also used testimonies and reports of Bulgarian citizens and activists who have been involved in or have been the subject of corruption schemes in the judiciary.

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