A wave of bomb threat emails sent to institutions across Bulgaria on Sunday triggered evacuations, suspended court hearings, and a nationwide security response, coinciding with the expected start of a high-profile trial in Burgas linked to a fatal ATV crash case.
Courthouses and public buildings in multiple cities, including Burgas, Varna, Pleven, Stara Zagora, Lovech, Razgrad, Sofia, and Kostinbrod, were evacuated after anonymous emails warned of planted explosive devices. Police teams were deployed to inspect the sites, with all affected buildings temporarily closed or cleared of staff and visitors.
In Lovech, three institutions were targeted in separate emails sent within minutes of each other: the Courthouse, the National Revenue Agency housed in the Regional Administration building, and the municipality. Similar alerts were received in Varna, where the Regional Administration building was cordoned off and checked, with officials initially expecting operations to resume later in the day.
Authorities in several regions confirmed that no explosives had been found so far, though checks were ongoing under standard emergency protocols.
One of the most significant disruptions occurred in Burgas, where a bomb threat forced the evacuation of the Courthouse just before the scheduled 10 a.m. start of a trial against 19-year-old Nikola Burgazliev. All hearings were suspended, and police units entered the building to conduct a full search.
