Ex-Mayor Ivancheva Walks Free
Former Mladost Borough Mayor Dessislava Ivancheva was released from Sliven women's prison on Tuesday after being granted a presidential pardon by Vice President Iliana Iotova, CE Report quotes BTA
Ivancheva, visibly emotional, thanked Iotova and said she was eager to reunite with her young son and ailing mother. She had 10 months left of a six-year sentence for soliciting a BGN 75,000 bribe from a developer—a charge she has always denied.
The pardon, confirmed by the Justice Ministry and the President’s Office, came after years of failed early release appeals. Ivancheva’s co-defendants, Bilyana Petrova and Petko Dyulgerov, were also convicted but released in 2024.
Ivancheva served nearly five years, accounting for time in detention and house arrest. She remains barred from holding public office for eight years and was fined BGN 12,000.
