Yonko Grozev is the Most Suitable Candidate for the Constitutional Court

Today, an official letter was submitted to the 51st National Assembly, proposing Yonko Grozev as a candidate for a judge in the Constitutional Court. The letter has been signed by over 30 representatives of civil organizations, legal experts, university professors, and public figures.

Yonko Grozev is a renowned expert in human rights, constitutional law, and international law. He has received international recognition, having been elected as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in 2015 following an independent national selection process conducted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He has taught at Sofia University, New Bulgarian University, and professional training programs for practicing lawyers. His judicial experience includes participation in key cases defending citizens' rights in Bulgaria.

The signatories of the letter emphasize that over the years, Grozev has demonstrated himself to be an independent, knowledgeable, and principled judge, consistently upholding the rule of law. They believe his expertise and integrity make him an exceptionally strong and well-founded candidate for the Constitutional Court, and they express hope that the National Assembly will support his nomination.

Grozev is a lawyer with extensive experience in fundamental rights protection. From 2015 to 2024, he served as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)—one of the highest professional achievements in the legal profession. The appointment of former ECHR judges to constitutional courts is an established best practice in Europe. In recent years, this has occurred in several Council of Europe member states, including Andorra, Armenia, Latvia, Norway, North Macedonia, Slovakia, Finland, and Sweden. In these countries, former ECHR judges have successfully contributed to strengthening the capacity and international reputation of their highest judicial bodies.

The nomination is supported by organizations such as the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, the Institute for Market Economics, the Access to Information Programme, the Anti-Corruption Fund, The Bulgarian Judges Association, the National Network for Children, the Bulgarian Lawyers for Human Rights, and others. Among the signatories from the academic and professional community are Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deyana Marcheva, Prof. Angel Kalaydjiev, Nelly Kutskova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hristo Hristov, Prof. Nelly Ognyanova, Zdravka Kalaydzhieva, and others.

The full text of the letter and the list of supporters can be found HERE.